University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


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// 


CAPT.  JACOB  DUNHAM. 


• 


JOURNAL  OF  VOYAGES: 


CONTAINING   AN   ACCOUNT   OF 


THE  AUTHOR'S  BEING  TWICE  CAPTURED   BY  THE  ENGLISH 

AND   ONCE    BY 

GIBBS  THE    PIRATE  j 

HIS   NARROW   ESCAPE   WHEN 

CHASED   BY   AN    ENGLISH  WAR   SCHOONER; 

AS  WELL  AS   HIS   BEING 

CAST    A  WAY    AND   RESIDING-   WITH    INDIANS. 
TO   WHICH   IS   ADDED 

Some  account  of  the  Soil,  Products,  Laws  and  Customs  of  Chagres, 
the  Musquitto  Shore,  and  St.  Bias,  at  the  Isthmus  of  Darien. 


Sffitjr 


BY    CAPTAIN    JACOB    DUNHAM. 


NEW-YOKE : 

PUBLISHED    FOR    THE    AUTHOR, 
And  Sold  by  Huestig  &  Cezans,  104  and  106  Nassau-street. 

1860. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty,  by  JACOB  DUNHAM,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the 
District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of  New- York. 


D.  Fanshaw,  Printer  and  Stereotyper, 
35  Ann,  corner  of  Nassau -street. 


CONTENTS. 


page. 

AUTHOR'S  APOLOGY,.  .  9 

EARLY  LIFE  OF  THE  AUTHOR, 11 

CHAPTER  I. — Sloop  Rover — Capture  by  the  English — Sale  and 

sinking  of  the  Sloop  Rover, 13 

CHAP.  II. — Sloop  New- York — Second  capture  by  the  English — 

Exchange  of  Prisoners, 30 

CHAP.  III.— Sloop  Biddle— Captain's  Mitchell  and  Lafitte,  the 

Pirates, 37 

CHAP.  IV. — Casting  away  of  the  Sloop  Biddle  near  Waa-waa 

River — with  some  account  of  the  Indians,      ...  52 

CHAP.  V. — Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  and  more  of  the  Indians,     .        .      70 
CHAP.  VI. — Runaway  Negroes  among  the  Indians — The  Sooker- 

man, 77 

CHAP.  VII.— Visit  to  Corn  Island,  ...  .        .      89 

CHAP.  VIII.— Visit  to  Bluefields— Permit  of  George  Frederick, 

King  of  the  Musquitto  Nation, 92 

CHAP.  IX.— Mode  of  Taking  Turtle— Musquitto  Laws— Pro 
duce — Customs,  &c. 98 

CHAP.  X. — Some  description  of  the  country  and  inhabitants  of 

the  Musquitto  Nation,  ......          105 

CHAP.  XI.— Sloop  Governor  Tompkins,      .        .        .        .        .111 

CHAP.  XII. — Schooner  Price,  First  Voyage — Leading  the  dance     * 

in  Old  Providence— A  ball  at  St.  Andreas,    .         .         .          115 
CHAP.  XIII. — Schooner  Price,  Second  Voyage — Landing  at  St 

Bias,  .  120 

CHAP.  XIV.— The  harbor  of  Little  Cordee— Trading  with  the 

Indians, 125 

CHAP.  XV.— Schooner  Price,  Third  Voyage— A  fleet  of  Patriots 

(or  pirates)  at  Old  Providence, 140 

CHAP.  XVI. — Schooner  Price,  Fourth  Voyage — Our  Boats  fired 

into  at  Com  Island.        .  151 


8  CONTENTS. 

page 

CHAP.  XVII.— Schooner  Enterprise, 160 

CHAP.  XVIII. — Schooner  Felicity — Republicans  and  Royalists 

of  Port-au-Prince.  162 

CHAP.  XIX. — Schooner  Felicity,  Second  Voyage — The  smartest 

Padre  (or  priest)  in  the  West  Indies,  .  .  .  .167 

CHAP.  XX. — Schooner  Combine — Captured  by  the  Pirates — 
Placed  in  the  ring  to  be  shot — Capture  of  the  Aristides  by 
Pirates, 170 

CHAP.  XXI. — Schooner  Combine,  Second  Voyage — Our  trade  in 
Horses — The  Yellow  Fever  at  Port-au-Prince — Counterfeit 
Coin — Arbitrary  Laws, 187 

CHAP.  XXII. — Schooner  Combine,  Third  Voyage,  .         .         194 

CHAP.  XXIII. — Capture  of  the  Piratical  Vessels  by  Lieutenant 

Commandant  Allen,  ..'....  199 

CHAP.  XXIV. — Schooner  Allen — Chased  by  an  English  Schoon 
er — Horrible  attrocities  committed  by  Pirates  on  the  Spanish 
Main,  ...  205 

CHAP.  XXV. — Schooner  Frances — Trading  Voyage  to  Musquitto 
Shore,  Chagres,  Porto  Bello,  &c. — The  Author  officiates  at 
a  christening,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  216 

CHAP.  XXVI. — Voyage  to  New  Orleans — The  Hospital — Dire 
ful  visitation  of  the  Yellow  Fever— Disposal  of  the  Dead,  .  226 

CHAP.  XXVII.— Schooner  Horizon— Peak  of  TenerhTe— Queer 

Carpenter, .  236 

CHAP.  XXVIII.— The  Sloop  First  Consul— Sinking  of  the  Sloop— 

and  return  home  penniless, 240 


AUTHOB'S    APOLOGIY. 


In  presenting  the  following  Voyages  to  the  public,  I  must 
inform  my  readers  that  I  have  had  but  a  common  school 
education,  and  am  unaccustomed  to  composition.  I  can  only 
tell  my  story  in  a  plain  straight  forward  way,  not  being  able 
to  ornament  it  with  flowery  language. 

My  Voyages  were  all  written  by  myself.  I  employed  com 
petent  persons  to  copy  the  work  from  my  manuscript,  and 
they  corrected  the  small  inaccuracies  that  had  escaped  my 
observation. 

I  thought,  that  although  my  book  might  contain  many 
defects,  if  composed  by  myself,  that  it  would  still  gain  more 
than  it  lost,  by  being  the  production  of  the  very  person 
who  had  seen  and  taken  part  in  the  scenes  he  related,  and 
could  vouch  for  the  truth  of  all  he  had  witnessed.  It  is  not 
given  to  the  public  as  a  specimen  of  the  beautiful  in  style,  but 
as  the  story  of  an  old  sea  captain  who  had  lived  in  one  of  the 
most  eventful  periods  of  our  country's  history  •  and  one  who 
had  nearly  arrived  at  his  last  anchorage. 

With  this  brief  outline  of  my  life,  and  this  short  explana 
tion,  I  commit  my  little  book,  with  confidence,  to  an  indul 
gent  public. 


Jaccv 


1* 


EECOMMENDATIONS. 


Captain  Jacob  Dunham,  having  applied  to  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,  for  relief,  on  account  of  losses  sustained  by  him  by 
piratical  robbery,  We,  the  undersigned,  do  hereby  certify  that  we 
are  well  acquainted  with  the  said  Jacob  Dunham,  have  known  him 
for  many  years  past,  that  he  is  a  man  of  truth  and  veracity,  and 
that  his  statements  are  entitled  to  full  faith  and  credit : 

THOMAS  O'HARA  CROSWEL, 

Post-Master,  Catskill. 

ABEL  BRUCE,  M.  D. 
ROBERT  DORLON,  ESQ. 
ORRIN  DAT, 

President  of  Tanner's  Bank,  Catskill. 

HON.  MALEBONE  WATSON, 

Judge  of  Supreme  Court,  New-York. 

HON.  JOHN  ADAMS. 
CALEB  DAY,  ESQ. 
J.  D.  BEERS, 

President  of  Bank  of  North  America,  New-York. 

JACOB  HAIGHT, 

Treasurer  of  State  of  New-York. 

HON.  ZADOCK  PRATT. 
T.  K.  COOKE, 

Member  of  New- York  Assembly. 

JAMES  POWERS, 

State  Senator 

CALVIN  BALIS, 

Alderman  of  New-York  City. 

W.  P.  HALLETT, 

Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  State  of  New-York. 

EDWIN  CROSWELL, 

State  Printer,  Albany,  Now- York. 
Catskill,  New- York,  December  30,  1839 


EAELY  LIFE  OF  THE  AUTHOR 


On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  April,  1779,  in  the  town 
of  Colchester,  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  I  was  launched 
into  the  world,  and  entered  on  the  tempestuous  voyage 
of  life. 

While  yet  an  infant  at  the  breast,  FATE  snatched  me 
from  my  mother's  arms,  viewed  me  with  a  scornful  eye, 
and  exclaimed,  "I  doom  this  babe  a  slave  to  hardships, 
dangers,  and  disappointments." 

The  following  pages  will  show  how  far  the  prophecy 
has  been  fulfilled.  My  father,  Samuel  Dunham,  was  a 
Warrant  Officer  in  the  American  Navy  during  the  Revo 
lutionary  War,  and  followed  the  sea  during  almost  his 
whole  life-time.  Whether  the  occupation  of  my  father  be 
fore  me  has  had  anything  to  do  in  shaping  my  course  in 
life,  the  author  is  not  wise  enough  to  say,  but  leaves  it  to 
those  who  make  greater  pretensions  than  himself. 

In  the  year  1785,  the  Author  emigrated,  along  with 
his  father,  to  where  the  village  of  Catskill  now  stands.  The 
whole  village  contained  but  seven  houses,  and  was  cut  up 
into  cultivated  fields  and  gardens.  My  father  having  bought 
half  an  acre  of  ground  situated  about  where  the  Greene 
County  Hotel  now  stands,  built  himself  a  small  house. 
After  living  in  Catskill  about  one  year,  my  uncle  sent  for 
me  to  come  to  Connecticut  and  live  with  him,  which  I  did. 
I  returned  to  Catskill  in  the  Spring  of  1793,  and  then  went 
as  an  apprentice  to  the  Messrs.  Thomas  O'H.  &  Mackay 
Croswell,  Printers,  who  then  published  a  small  news 
paper  called  The  Catskill  Packet.  I  lived  with  the  Cros- 
well's  about  six  years  and  a  half,  where  I  was  well  treat 
ed.  Having  a  great  desire  to  see  some  of  the  world,  I 
went  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  where  I  found  em- 


12  EARLY   LIFE    OF    THE    AUTHOR. 

ployment  in  a  Printing  Office  for  a  few  months.  During 
that  winter  I  witjiessed  a  large  funeral  procession  in  that 
city  in  commemoration  of  the  death  of  General  Washing 
ton.  In  the  Spring  of  1800,  I  returned  to  Catskill,  and 
found  some  employment  in  the  coasting  trade,  on  the 
Hudson  Eiver.  During  the  summer  and  the  winter  fol 
lowing,  I  made  three  voyages  to  Charleston  and  Savannah, 
and  then  returned  to  Catskill  and  worked  at  the  Printing 
business  about  two  years.  I  then  made  one  voyage  to  the 
Island  of  St.  Croix  as  a  seaman.  During  this  time  I  was 
married,  in  Catskill,  in  August,  1801,  to  a  young  woman 
named  Fanny  Morgan.  I  then  found  employment  in  the 
coasting  trade  in  different  vessels  for  one  or  two  years, 
when  I  entered  the  employment  of  Messrs.  T.  B.  &  A. 
Cooke,  as  one-fourth  owner  of  a  packet  sloop  which  sailed 
letween  Catskill  and  New-York,  where  we  did  a  good 
business  for  many  years.  Not  being  content  in  doing  well 
and  making  money  in  a  moderate  way,  and  a  war  breaking 
out  between  England  and  America,  I  determined  to  try 
my  luck  again  on  the  Ocean ;  picturing  to  myself  a  rapid 
increase  of  the  little  property  I  had  gained  by  hard  and 
slow  earnings. 

From  the  time  I  left  this  safe  business  to  embark  on 
the  Ocean,  my  adventures  predicted  by  dame  Fate,  com 
menced.  Since  that  time  I  have  been  rudely  driven  by 
winds  and  storms,  captured  by  enemies,  robbed  by  pirates, 
and  have  made  many  hair-breadth  escapes  both  by  sea 
and  land,  until  the  present  time.  I  have  now  brought  my 
poor  old  sheer  hulk  to  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Catskill. 

Not  having  much  to  occupy  my  mind,  I  frequently 
take  a  survey  of  my  past  life,  which  has  been  checkered 
with  many  frightful  scenes. 

Being  strongly  urged  by  many  old  friends,  for  several 
years  past,  to  publish  some  account  of  my  unfortunate  ad 
ventures,  I  have  reluctantly  yielded  to  their  request.  In 
so  doing,  I  must  crave  the  indulgence  of  my  readers. 


CAPTAIN    DUNHAM'S 

NINETEEN    VOYAGES, 


CHAPTER    I. 

"  The  sailor  ploughs  the  raging  main, 
"  In  hopes  a  competence  to  gain, 
"  And  when  his  toil  and  danger 's  o'er, 
"  Safe  anchors  on  his  native  shore." 

Sloop    Rover. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  in  the  year  1813,  hav 
ing  a  great  desire  to  engage  in  some  adventure ; 
and  hoping  that  fortune  would  smile  upon  my  un 
dertakings,  I  purchased  of  Messrs.  Coddington  & 
Thorp,  of  New- York,  one  quarter  of  an  old  Sloop 
called  the  Rover ;  for  which  I  paid  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars.  Messrs.  Coddington  &  Thorp, 
and  Captain  Silus  S.  Vail,  were  owners  of  the  other 
three-quarters. 

The  Rover  was  an  old  condemned  sea  vessel,  hav 
ing  old  thin  sails,  two  deck  beams  broken,  without 
top-mast,  and  a  large  piece  of  leather  two  feet 
square  nailed  over  a  rotten  plank  in  her  bottom. 

As  this  was  during  the  last  war  between  the 
United  States  and  England,  the  port  of  New- York 


14  .  DUNHAM'S 

and  our  whole  north-eastern  coast  was  closely 
blockaded  by  English  shipping.  It  therefore  became 
necessary  for  our  citizens  to  transport  large  quanti 
ties  of  flour  and  other  commodities  from  Baltimore 
and  adjoining  towns,  to  New- York  by  land ;  and 
from  thence  to  be  conveyed  to  the  Eastern  markets. 
The  expense  of  transporting  flour  and  other  heavy 
articles  by  land,  caused  speculators  and  traders  to 
seek  shipments  by  water  to  Eastern  ports.  Freights 
of  course  were  high,  and  but  little  attention  paid  by 
merchants  to  the  crafts  they  chartered.  A  number 
of  old  vessels  were  offered  for  freight,  the  Rover 
rating  No.  1  among  them.  The  carrying  business 
being  well  up,  and  much  in  that  line  offering,  I  em 
braced  a  proposal  of  one  dollar  per  barrel  for  trans 
porting  500  barrels  of  flour  and  70  barrels  of  bread 
from  New- York  to  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 

I  sailed  from  New- York  about  the  20th  of  May, 
intending  to  run  through  the  most  exposed  places  in 
the  night,  watching  the  movements  of  the  blockading 
vessels  closely,  and  when  I  got  into  a  good  harbor  I 
intended  to  remain  there  until  another  dark  night. 

In  heavy  gales  of  wind  the  blockading  ships 
generally  put  to  sea  for  their  own  safety ;  which 
gave  me  an  opportunity  to  make  my  passage 
unmolested. 

I  arrived,  after  a  passage  of  forty-eight  hours,  at 
Stonington  Connecticut,  without  discovering  any  of 
the  vessels  of  the  enemy.  I  found  a  number  of  ves 
sels  had  taken  shelter  in  that  harbor  to  avoid  an 


VOYAGES.  15 

English  frigate  which  was  cruising  between  Block 
Island  and  Newport.  I  remained  at  Stonington  a 
few  days,  when  a  dark  night  appearing,  I  again 
made  sail,  and  arrived  at  Providence,  my  port  of 
destination,  in  safety.  We  landed  our  cargo,  and 
Mr.  Thorp,  one  of  the  owners,  who  had  accompa 
nied  me  for  that  purpose,  was  left  to  dispose  of  it. 

Two  or  three  days  after  unloading  my  vessel,  I 
again  sailed  for  New- York.  We  anchored  at  the 
mouth  of  Newport  harbor  for  the  purpose  of  await 
ing  an  opportunity  of  returning  when  the  blockading 
frigate  should  stand  out  to  sea.  I  had  to  wait  but  a 
few  days ;  as  soon  as  I  saw  she  was  far  enough  from 
the  port  T  made  sail,  and  by  keeping  near  the  shore, 
arrived  at  Stonington  without  molestation  from  the 
enemy.  Here  I  learned  that  New  London,  a  port  be 
tween  me  and  my  destination,  was  closely  blockaded 
by  a  British  fleet  consisting  of  two  74  gun  ships  and 
two  frigates.  There  were  ten  or  twelve  sail  of  coast 
ing  vessels  then  lying  in  the  harbor  at  Stonington, 
most  of  which  had  been  East  with  cargoes,  and  were 
waiting  for  dark  nights  or  other  favorable  opportu 
nities  to  pass  the  blockading  squadron.  I  remained 
here  eight  or  ten  days.  During  tiiis  time  the  inhabi 
tants  of  the  town  were  much  alarmed,  fearing  the 
enemy  would  send  in  armed  boats  to  cut  out  our  ves 
sels,  and  by  that  means  annoy  the  inhabitants  and 
fire  the  town. 

To  show  our  patriotism  and  courage,  a  meeting 
was  called  of  the  officers  and  crews  of  all  the  vessels 


DUNHAM'S 

in  the  harbor.  We  volunteered  our  services  to  stand 
night  watches,  and  do  all  in  our  power  in  case  an 
attack  should  be  made.  Our  means  of  defence  were 
scanty ;  a  few  fowling  guns  being  the  only  weapons 
we  had  on  board  our  vessels. 

Some  of  the  inhabitants  finally  procured  for  us 
an  old  ship  gun,  which  we  loaded  with  powder,  tut 
could  not  procure  balls  to  fit  it.  We  at  length  found 
one  which  we  imagined  we  could  force  into  the 
gun.  After  a  long  time,  with  a  sledge  and  crowbar, 
we  succeeded  in  driving  it  within  six  or  eight  inches 
of  the  cartridge. 

The  captains  drew  lots  for  the  first  watch,  which 
fell  upon  me.  I  took  charge  of  the  watch  until  12 
o'clock  that  night,  and  was  much  pleased  that  we 
were  not  annoyed  by  the  enemy,  as  I  concluded  that 
the  firing  of  our  own  gun  would  make  more  havoc 
among  us  than  all  the  enemy  could  bring  against  us. 
At  the  close  of  my  watch  I  learned  that  two  Sag- 
harbor  vessels  were  getting  under  weigh,  intending 
to  pass  through  Plum  Gut,  which  would  conduct 
them  some  distance  from  where  the  enemy  lay  at 
anchor.  As  it  was  a  dark  night,  and  not  being  myself 
a  good  pilot  through  that  passage,  I  concluded  to  fol 
low  them.  The  wind  being  light,  they  outsailed  my 
vessel  until  I  lost  sight  of  them.  About  break  of  day 
it  was  so  calm  that  I  could  not  pass  the  fleet  or  get 
back  to  Stonington.  I  soon  discovered  a  barge  in 
pursuit  of  me,  but  there  was  no  way  of  escape. 
The  boat  had  on  board  a  lieutenant,  a  midshipman, 


VOYAGES.  17 

and  twelve  armed  men.  They  left  a  prize  master 
and  two  men  to  take  charge  of  my  sloop,  and  then 
proceeded  to  capture  another  small  vessel  at  that 
time  in  sight.  They  soon  overhauled  her ;  but  as 
she  had  nothing  of  value  on  board,  having  only  some 
household  furniture,  and  women  arid  children,  they 
let  her  pass.  Three  of  the  British  vessels  after  fir 
ing  a  number  of  guns  toward  the  shore  proceeded 
to  sea,  while  my  vessel  was  taken  within  a  small 
distance  of  the  commodore's  ship,  which  remained 
at  anchor. 

And  here,  as  I  deem  it  will  not  be  altogether  un 
interesting  to  my  readers,  I  will  make  a  slight  digres 
sion,  in  giving  a  brief  description  of  the  personal  his 
tory  of  Commodore  Hardy ;  for  such  was  the  name 
of  the  officer  who  had  command  of  the  fleet  which 
had  captured  us.  Although  some  Americans  are 
under  the  impression  that  nothing  good  can  come 
from  British  officers,  which  idea  in  many  instances 
has  been  justified ;  yet,  with  regard  to  Sir  Thomas 
Hardy,  it  might  truly  be  said,  that  he  was  "  One  of 
Nature's  noblemen  ;"  for  such  his  conduct  to  myself 
and  crew  fully  showed  him  to  be.  He  appeared  to 
be  a  man  about  forty-five  years  of  age,  about  six 
feet  in  height,  elegantly  formed,  and  possessing 
a  benign  expression  of  countenance,  scarcely  to  be 
expected  from  one  who  had  been  following,  from  his 
youth,  a  sea-faring  life,  and  had  been  engaged  in 
some  of  the  most  bloody  naval  battles  on  record. 
When  a  poor  boy  he  was  taken  on  board  the  Eng- 


18  DUNHAM'S 

lish  fleet  by  Lord  Nelson,  continued  with  him  dur 
ing  his  various  engagements,  and  became  Nelson's 
principal  fighting  commander.  At  the  battle  of 
Trafalgar  the  admiral  died  in  his  arms. 

On  a  signal  being  made  we  were  ordered  on 
board  the  commodore's  ship.  My  vessel  being  old 
and  shabby,  I  thought  it  best  to  keep  on  my  working 
clothes  to  show  my  apparent  poverty,  which  would 
excite  some  sympathy,  but  I  had  a  good  suit  of 
clothes  in  my  chest.  When  I  got  on  board  I  found  I 
was  in  his  majesty's  ship  Ramillies,  Sir  T.  W.  Hardy, 
commander.  I  cast  my  eyes  about  in  as  awkward 
a  manner  as  I  could  ;  the  officers  gathered  round  to 
have  a  little  sport  with  a  poor  Yankee.  They  com 
menced  their  conversation  by  asking  me  if  I  were 
ever  on  board  of  a  seventy-four  before ;  I  answered 
in  the  negative.  The  captain  of  marines  then,  taking 
hold  of  my  striped  cotton  pantaloons,  asked  me  if  we 
made  such  fine  cloth  as  that  in  our  country.  I  told 
him  a  little,  just  to  cover  our  nakedness  during  the 
war.  Soon  after  a  message  came  for  me  to  go 
aft  to  see  the  commodore.  I  thought  I  would  show 
myself  very  submissive  by  taking  off  my  hat  and 
putting  it  under  my  arm.  The  first  salutation  I 
had  from  him  was,  "Put  on  your  hat,  sir.  Did  you 
know  that  we  were  lying  here."  "  Yes,  sir,"  was  my 
reply.  He  said,  "How  dare  you  venture  out."  I  an 
swered  that  I  had  been  lying  at  Stonington  a  number 
of  days,  waiting  for  a  dark  night  to  get  past  him.  He 
then  told  me  he  must  burn  my  vessel  and  send  me 


VOYAGES.  19 

to  Halifax.    I  told  him  if  the  sentence  was  irrevoca 
ble,  I  had  nothing  to  offer.    I  then  left  him  and  went 
forward  and  sat  down  on  a  gun  in  a  pensive  manner. 
He  soon  accosted  me  by  asking  me  to  go  and  get 
some  breakfast,  saying,  "If  I  keep  you  I  will  not 
starve  you  to  death."    I  thanked  him,  but  told  him  I 
had  taken  breakfast  before  I  left  his  prize.    I  kept 
my  seat  on  the  gun  for  a  long  time,  until  I  excited 
the  attention  of  the  sailors,  one  of  whom  accosted 
me  by  saying,  "  Captain,  don't  look  so  sorrowful,  our 
captain  is  a  damned  clever  fellow ;  I  guess  he  will  give 
up  your  old  serving  mallet,"  as  he  called  my  sloop. 
"  Yes,"  said  another,  "I  would  willingly  give  up  my 
share,  for  it  will  not  be  enough  to  make  more  than  a 
glass  of  grog  apiece."    The  officers  made  themselves 
merry  by  passing  many  jokes  with  me,  supposing 
they  had  a  green  Yankee  to  sport  with.    In  the  after 
noon  the  commodore  said,  pointing  towards  my  ves 
sel,  u  That  is  a  fine  large  sloop  of  yours  ;  can't  you 
give  me  fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  her  ;  I  am  going 
to  send  two  officers  on  board  to  prize  her."     I  told 
him  that  was  three  times  more  than  she  was  worth, 
and  five  times  more  than  I  was  worth ;  that  she  was 
an  old  condemned  vessel ;  that  he  could  not  send  her 
to  Halifax  or  Bermuda.    I  told  him  I  thought  if  I 
could  get  on  shore  I  could  raise  one  hundred  dollars, 
and  perhaps  that  would  be  a  compensation  for  the 
trouble  he  had  in  capturing  her;  that  I  presumed 
he  would  make  a  target  of  her  to  fire  at  if  he  re 
tained  her.     He   then  left  me :  about  half-an-hour 


20  DUNHAM'S 

after  he  called  me  into  his  cabin  and  said  that  he 
wanted  to  raise  a  little  money  to  distribute  among 
his  crew;  that  he  had  not  enough  to  allow  one 
dollar  apiece  to  them.  Said  he,  "I  want  to  use 
your  old  sloop  for  about  three  days.  If  you  think 
you  can  raise  one  hundred  dollars  by  going  on  shore, 
you  can  take  your  boat  and  go  ;  and  if  you  return 
in  three  days  with  the  money,  you  shall  have  your 
sloop  restored  to  you." 

My  two  men  immediately  hauled  the  boat  along 
side  ready  for  embarking.  I  bid  the  commodore  good- 
by,  and  was  going  over  the  ship's  side,  when  he  called 
me  back,  saying,  "  I  must  parole  you  before  you  go  !" 
"  Just  as  you  please,"  said  I.  "  He  said  he  was  only 
doing  me  a  favor,  for  then  my  own  countrymen  could 
neither  draft  nor  impress  me  after  I  landed."  I  then 
took  my  boat  and  proceeded  to  Stonington,  and  ar 
rived  there  that  evening.  I  found  most  of  the  vessels 
that  I  left  there  before  my  departure.  The  captains 
assembled  around  me,  eager  to  learn  the  news.  I  re 
lated  my  story  and  the  bargain  I  had  made  with  the 
commodore.  Some  thought  I  had  made  a  good  bar 
gain,  while  others  thought  me  foolish  ;  saying,  that 
if  I  returned  on  board  he  would  keep  my  hundred 
dollars  and  send  me  to  Halifax  as  a  prisoner.  The 
next  day  I  negotiated  with  a  merchant  of  that  place 
for  a  loan  of  eighty  dollars,  by  giving  a  draft  on  my 
friend  in  New- York  for  eighty-six  dollars,  and  pledg 
ing  my  watch,  quadrant,  charts,  &c.  and  a  note  I 
held  against  a  merchant  in  New- York  of  one  hun- 


VOYAGES.  21 

dred  dollars,  as  a  security  for  the  payment  of  the 
draft.  This,  with  thirty  dollars  in  bills,  which  I  had 
in  my  pocket,  was  more  than  sufficient  to  ransom 
my  vessel. 

I  returned  to  the  Ramillies  that  afternoon.  The 
boatswain,  a  grave  looking  old  gentleman,  very  hos 
pitably  took  me  by  the  hand  and  asked  me  to  go  and 
live  with  him.  He  conducted  me  down  two  or  three 
pair  of  stairs  into  his  own  room,  which  I  found  well 
furnished,  but  had  no  other  light  than  a  lamp,  as  his 
room  was  below  the  water.  He  told  one  of  his  boys 
to  make  a  clean  cot  for  me  to  sleep  in,  and  to  wait 
on  me  if  I  wanted  anything.  He  treated  me  with 
some  old  rum  he  said  he  had  kept  on  board  for  three 
or  four  years.  He  lamented  much  that  England 
and  America  were  at  war  with  each  other ;  that  he 
never  could  realize  us  as  prisoners,  because  we  both 
spoke  the  same  language  and  sprung  from  one 
nation. 

The  next  morning  I  rose  early,  put  on  my  best 
suit  of  clothes  and  went  on  deck.  I  saw  the  first 
lieutenant  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  deck  with  his 
hands  in  his  breeches  pockets,  walking  very  grace 
fully  to  and  fro.  To  amuse  myself  I  put  my  hands 
in  my  pockets,  and  commenced  walking  the  opposite 
side  of  the  deck  in  the  same  manner.  He  immedi 
ately  stopped  and  looked  at  me  with  some  surprise, 
exclaiming,  "  Is  that  you  ?  Damn  it,  you  have  bet 
ter  clothes  than  I  have.  When  we  captured  and 
brought  you  on  board  you  had  on  an  old  short  jacket 


22  DUNHAM'S 

and  cotton  trowsers,  and  looked  so  pitiful  that  most 
of  the  crew  offered  to  give  up  their  share  of  your  old 
shallop  if  the  commodore  would  let  you  go.  But  I 
give  you  credit  for  it.  You  have  Yankeed  us  better 
than  any  one  we  have  taken  yet."  I  looked  about  to 
see  my  old  vessel  which  I  left  at  anchor  about  half 
a  mile  from  the  ship,  but  she  was  missing.  He  asked 
me  if  I  was  looking  for  my  old  sloop.  I  told  him  I 
was.  He  said  that  I  would  never  see  her  again.  I 
told  him  I  was  not  alarmed  about  it,  for  I  had  the 
commodores  word  for  it.  He  said  he  would  be 
damned  if  I  ever  got  her  again.  I  told  him  the  com 
modore  had  promised  me  to  give  her  up  in  three 
days,  and  if  he  did  not  keep  his  word  I  would  take 
my  boat,  land  at  New  London,  and  get  a  war 
rant  for  him.  He  was  pleased  with  the  joke  and 
soon  after  called  his  brother  officers  around  him, 
who  took  me  into  a  room  and  treated  me  with  wine, 
segars,  &c.  They  were  very  polite  to  me  during  my 
stay  on  board. 

New  London  appeared  from  the  deck  of  the  ship 
to  be  four  or  five  miles  distant.  Fishing  boats  came 
every  day  from  the  town  and  fished  within  a  mile, 
without  interruption.  On  their  return  they  were 
often  hailed  from  the  ship  to  come  on  board,  and  the 
officers  and  crew  purchased  what  fish  they  wanted, 
and  paid  a  liberal  price.  I  could  see  from  the  deck, 
with  the  spy  glass,  colors  flying,  and  troops  march 
ing  and  re-marching  in  the  city  of  New  London. 
Above  the  city  were  the  frigates  United  States  and 


VOYAGES.  23 

Macedonia,  and  the  sloop-of-war  Wasp,  at  anchor. 
During  my  stay  of  four  or  five  days  on  board,  the 
commodore  would  every  afternoon  send  for  me  to 
come  into  his  cabin,  for  the  purpose  of  having 
some  humorous  conversation,  which  caused  the 
time  to  pass  very  agreeably.  The  remainder  of 
my  time  was  passed  among  the  officers,  some  of 
whom  had  relatives  living  in  the  city  of  New- 
York,  with  whom  I  had  formerly  traded.  We  be 
came  familiar,  and  they  insisted  on  taking  my 
name  and  number  of  my  boarding  house,  saying, 
that  when  they  took  the  city  of  New- York  they 
would  come  and  take  a  bottle  of  wine  with  me.  I 
told  them  if  ever  they  saw  me  in  the  city  of 
New- York  after  they  had  captured  it,  it  would  be 
without  a  head. 

The  day  before  my  departure  from  the  ship, 
finding  the  commodore  in  good  humor,  I  told  him 
that  I  was  a  poor  man  and  had  a  large  family  to 
support  with  my  old  sloop,  that  flour  was  worth 
only  seven  dollars  per  barrel  in  New- York,  and  was 
worth  fourteen  dollars  in  Boston,  and  that  it  would 
do  him  no  harm  to  give  me  a  passport  to  carry  a 
cargo  to  Boston  or  neighboring  ports.  He  paused 
for  awhile,  and  then  with  a  smile  said,  "  You  look 
like  a  pretty  clever  fellow,  and  if  you  go  to  New- 
York  and  take  in  a  cargo,  and  come  back  here  before 
I  leave  this  station,  which  will  be  in  about  three 
weeks,  I  will  then  give  you  a  passport.  But  if  you 
attempt  to  run  by  me  in  the  night,  I  shall  make  a 


24  DUNHAM'S 

prize  of  you."  The  next  day  my  old  sloop  returned 
to  the  Ramillies  with  a  quantity  of  beef  on  board.  I 
made  some  complaint  to  the  first  lieutenant  that  the 
sailors  had  eaten  up  all  my  provisions  and  lost  my 
lead-line,  and  hand-saw,  &c.  He  remunerated  me 
by  giving  me  five  times  the  value  of  what  I  had 
lost.  I  paid  the  commodore  the  ransom  money,  re 
ceived  their  best  wishes  for  a  prosperous  voyage, 
and  departed. 

On  my  arrival  in  New- York  I  was  much  inter 
rogated  to  know  why  I  had  not  obtained  a  license 
from  Commodore  Hardy ;  to  which  I  gave  evasive 
answers.  Congress  having  about  this  time  passed 
some  stringent  laws  requiring  our  vessels  of  war  to 
overhaul  and  search  all  vessels  bound  to,  or  coming 
from  an  enemy's  ship,  I  thought  best  to  keep  my  own 
secrets.  An  acquaintance  of  mine  called  on  me  and  - 
asked  me  if  I  thought  it  safe  to  take  a  cargo  to  Bos 
ton  or  some  of  the  Eastern  ports.  I  told  him  if  I 
were  able  to  purchase  one,  I  would  try  it.  He  told 
me  to  call  on  him  in  a  short  time,  as  he  thought  he 
could  procure  a  freight  for  me.  He  soon  obtained 
five  hundred  barrels  of  flour,  and  seventy  barrels  of 
bread,  at  one  dollar  per  barrel  for  freightage,  and 
three  per  cent  commission  for  selling.  I  was  to  re 
mit  the  proceeds  by  mail,  or  pay  it  to  their  corres 
pondents  in  Boston. 

About  the  20th  of  June  I  sailed  from  New- York 
and  arrived  within  about  five  miles  of  the  Ramillies, 
where  I  anchored.  At  daylight  I  found  a  barge 


I 


Q 

5 

I 


bO 


VOYAGES.  25 

coming  towards  us.  My  seamen  were  frightened, 
and  attempted  to  make  their  escape  to  the  shore,  a 
distance  of  two  miles ;  by  threats  and  persuasion  I 
prevented  them.  Soon  after  the  barge  came  along 
side.  The  commanding  officer  asked  me  what  cargo 
I  had  on  board,  and  sundry  other  questions.  He  then 
said,  "  You  must  be  crazy.  It  was  only  last  week  we 
had  you  prisoner,  when  we  pitied  you  so  much  that 
we  volunteered  to  give  up  our  shares  in  your  old 
sloop  if  the  commodore  would  let  you  go."  I  told 
him  I  thought  the  commodore  would  let  me  pass. 
He  replied,  "  You  need  not  expect  any  favor  from 
him,  as  he  has  sworn  vengeance  against  all  Ameri 
cans.  Yesterday  morning  we  discovered  a  schooner 
lying  at  anchor  near  where  yoil  now  are.  I  was 
ordered  to  go  and  capture  her.  I  proceeded  towards 
her,  and  saw  the  crew  take  her  boat  and  pull  for  the 
,  shore ;  when  I  boarded  her  I  found  no  person  on 
board.  In  the  cabin  I  found  a  manifest  of  her  cargo, 
and  in  the  list,  some  naval  stores  which  we  wanted 
for  the  ship's  use.  We  got  the  schooner  under  weigh, 
beat  her  up  within  half  a  mile  of  the  ship  and  came 
to  anchor.  Mr.  Collingwood,  our  second  lieutenant, 
whom  you  well  know,  was  sent  to  relieve  me,  and  I 
went  to  report  to  the  commodore.  The  hatches 
were  taken  off  and  the  tackle  hooked  on  to  a  barrel 
of  naval  stores,  when  the  schooner  blew  up.  There 
were  fourteen  men  on  board,  and  all  were  killed  ex 
cept  three  seamen  who  were  furling  the  fore-topsail. 

Those  three  were  thrown  some  twenty  rods,  when 
2 


26  DUNHAM    S 

the  fore-mast  was  blown  out  of  her.  You  cannot 
expect  any  favors  of  the  commodore."  Before  leav 
ing  New- York  I  learned  that  some  persons  who  had 
been  captured  by  the  commodore,  ascertained,  while 
on  board,  that  he  was  in  want  of  naval  stores  ;  as 
soon  as  the  news  got  abroad,  some  merchants  pur 
chased  by  subscription  an  old  schooner,  and  placed 
thirty  casks  of  powder  in  her  hold.  Some  machinery 
was  attached  to  the  powder  by  a  string,  which  was 
also  fastened  to  a  barrel  of  naval  stores,  and  when 
it  was  raised  had  caused  the  explosion,  as  related  by 
the  lieutenant. 

My  sloop  was  soon  brought  and  anchored  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  ship.  I  was  taken  on  board  the 
ship  and  conducted  to  the  commodore,  who  spoke  to 
me  in  a  pleasant  manner.  "  Well,  sir,"  said  he,  "  I 
see  you  have  arrived  here  again.  What  does  your 
cargo  consist  of?  Where  are  you  bound  ?"  I  told 
him  my  cargo  was  flour,  and  that  I  was  bound  to 
Boston  and  some  of  the  neighboring  ports.  He  gave 
me  a  passport  to  protect  me  from  capture  by  the 
English  ships,  and  told  me  I  could  proceed  on  my 
voyage.  I  then  steered  for  Portsmouth,  New  Hamp 
shire,  where  I  sold  some  of  my  flour  at  sixteen  dol 
lars  per  barrel.  Finding  the  market  dull,  I  pro 
ceeded  to  Newburyport,  where  I  found  an  abundant 
supply.  From  thence  I  proceeded  to  Boston,  where 
I  sold  the  remainder  of  my  flour  at  auction,  at  four 
teen  dollars  per  barrel. 

After  my  flour  was  disposed  of  I  purchased  a 


VOYAGES.  27 

cargo  of  boards  to  carry  to  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
I  loaded  the  sloop,  intending  to  be  ready  to  sail  in 
the  morning,  but  the  tide  receding  during  the  night, 
the  Rover  was  left  aground  at  the  Long  Wharf. 
When  I  awoke  in  the  morning  I  found  my.  vessel 
had  fallen  over  on  her  side,  and  had  five  feet  of 
water  in  her  hold.  I  procured  a  caulker,  who,  with 
myself  and  crew,  went  into  the  mud  and  water  and 
commenced  stopping  the  leaks,  while  the  water  was 
running  out  from  her  bottom  from  almost  every  seam. 
We  caulked  the  largest  with  table  knives,  wooden 
wedges,  &c.  We  then  took  four  pounds  of  can 
dles  and  a  quantity  of  wood  ashes  and  made  a  kind 
of  putty,  with  which  we  stopped  the  remainder.  In 
the  mean  time  my  two  seamen  were  arrested  for 
stealing  and  sent  to  jail.  I  hired  a  number  of  men 
and  bailed  and  pumped  out  the  water.  I  then  ship 
ped  a  new  crew  and  proceeded  to  Providence.  On 
my  arrival  there  I  was  cordially  greeted  by  the  in 
habitants,  and  disposed  of  my  cargo  very  advanta 
geously.  In  consequence  of  my  good  fortune  a  number 
of  Quaker,  and  other  persons,  who  were  strangers  to 
me,  urged  me  to  take  charge  of  a  good  brig ;  sup 
posing  that  I  could  protect  their  property.  I  declined 
taking  another  vessel,  as  my  passport  would  not  pro 
tect  me  with  any  other  than  the  one  I  had.  I,  how 
ever,  did  not  state  to  them  the  reason. 

The  rage  for  shipping  in  the  Rover  was  so  great 
that  I  could  get  about  five  times  more  for  freight 
age  than  I  could  in  time  of  peace.  I  took  or* 


28  DUNHAM'S 

board  31  pipes  of  brandy,  20  hogsheads  of  sugar, 
and  100  ceroons  of  tallow,  and  sailed  for  New- York. 
When  I  arrived  at  Hell  Gate  and  was  attempting  to 
pass  it,  the  wind  being  light,  the  sloop  drifted  upon 
the  rock  called  the  Hog's-back,  and  the  tide  falling, 
her  bottom  was  left  half  out  of  water.  At  about  1 1 
o'clock  at  night  I  made  out  to  remove  her  off  from 
the  rocks,  having  four  feet  of  water  in  her  hold.  She 
drifted  back  out  of  the  Gate,  when  I  succeeded  in 
hauling  her  on  shore  and  made  her  fast  to  the  rocks. 
As  it  was  dark  and  rainy,  we  could  not  tell  at  the 
time  where  we  were.  On  groping  my  way  into  the 
cabin  I  found  the  water  six  inches  deep  on  the  cabin 
floor.  I  then  lay  down  with  clothes  wet  through  to 
my  skin.  At  daylight  I  found  the  Rover,  the  tide 
having  left  her,  some  rods  high  and  dry  upon  the 
rocks,  and  the  water  running  from  most  of  her  seams. 
I  called  all  hands  and  went  to  caulking  with  table 
knives,  &c.  We  then  applied  a  few  pounds  of  putty 
and  ashes  to  the  seams.  At  high  water  she  again 
floated.  After  hiring  four  negroes  to  go  with  us  to 
New- York  to  assist  in  pumping  and  bailing,  we  pro 
ceeded  on  our  course. 

When  we  got  to  the  city  we  hauled  her  into 
Coenties  Slip,  where  the  bottom  is  soft  and  muddy. 
The  mud  having  filled  up  her  seams  in  a  few  hours, 
she  ceased  leaking,  and  passed  for  a  tight  craft.  I 
notified  my  consignees  of  our  arrival  and  then  landed 
the  cargo.  Five  hogsheads  of  sugar  were  damaged 
in  consequence  of  the  leaking  of  my  vessel.  The 


VOYAGES.  29 

consignees  paid  me  for  all  the  freight,  and  threw  the 
loss  of  the  damaged  sugar  upon  the  underwriters  in 
Providence,  who  insured  a  considerable  amount  in 
the  cargo. 

As  I  had  now  been  some  time  absent  from  my 
family,  who  resided  in  Catskill,  I  concluded  to  make 
them  a  visit.  I  agreed  with  my  partners  in  the  sloop 
to  sell  her  at  auction  during  my  absence.  The  Rover 
was  visited  by  multitudes  of  people,  who  pronounced 
her  the  most  lucky  vessel  in  the  harbor.  Many  of 
them,  I  suppose,  thought  her  to  be  a  phantom  ship. 
For  myself,  I  felt  well  satisfied,  as  I  had  over  two 
hundred  dollars  per  month  during  the  three  months 
I  sailed  her,  on  a  capital  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars. 

The  fame  of  the  Rover  was  so  great  that  she  sold 
for  $480.  The  purchaser  took  her  up  the  Sound  to 
Long  Island,  and  laid  her  on  shore  at  high  water. 
He  then  loaded  her  with  wood  by  driving  alongside 
at  low  water.  But  when  the  tide  rose  he  found  her 
sides  broken  in  and  her  hold  filled  with  water.  My 
hand  trembles  while  I  write  of  the  untimely  end  of 
the  charming  sloop  Rover. 


30  DUNHAM'S 

CHAPTER     II. 

Sloop  New- York. 

About  the  first  of  November,  1813,  having  added 
a  little  to  my  small  capital  by  my  late  adventure  in 
the  Rover,  and  feeling  eager  to  add  more,  again 
trusting  to  the  smiles  of  fickle  fortune,  I  purchased  a 
small  sloop  called  the  New-York,  of  28  tons  burden. 
Soon  after  I  sold  one-fourth  of  her  to  Messrs.  T.  B. 
&  A.  Cook,  merchants  in  Catskill,  and  one-half  of 
her  to  two  merchants  in  the  city  of  New-York.  They 
considered  it  a  kind  of  lottery  adventure.  One  of  the 
new  owners  in  New- York  had  correspondents  in 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  who  informed  us  of  the  high 
prices  of  Northern  produce  in  that  city,  and  the  situ 
ation  of  the  English  squadron  in  Lynhaven  Bay,  and 
advised  us  to  procure  a  small  vessel  of  light  draught 
of  water,  and  that  by  sailing  in  over  a  shoal  called 
the  Horse-shoe,  in  a  dark  night,  we  might  avoid 
coming  in  contact  with  the  enemy's  fleet. 

The  American  coast  was  closely  blockaded  by 
the  English  vessels,  but  heavy  gales  of  wind  fre 
quently  drove  them  off  the  coast  for  a  short  time, 
which  offered  some  cjiance  of  making  passages  by 
keeping  near  the  land. 

The  high  prices  of  Northern  produce  in  Southern 
markets  held  out  great  inducements  to  shippers  to, 


VOYAGES. 


in  exporting  it.  •ur  correspondents  at  Nor 
folk,  stated  patatoes  to  be  worth  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents  per  bushel  ;  onions,  sixteen  dollars  per  hun 
dred  ropes  ;  salt,  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per 
bushel,  and  cheese  twenty-five  dollars  per  cwt. 

We  loaded  the  sloop  with  four  hundred  bushels 
potatoes,  two  hundred  bushels  salt,  three  thousand 
four  hundred  and  fifty  ropes  onions,  and  eight  thou 
sand  six  hundred  pounds  of  cheese  ;  all  shipped  on 
;he  joint  account  of  the  owners. 

I  was  to  purchase  and  sell  the  cargo,  and  when 
f  arrived  at  Norfolk  was  to  buy  three  or  four  old 
)rigs  or  schooners,  load  them  with  coal,  and  when  a 
.avorable  opportunity  occurred  by  the  enemy  being 
driven  to  sea  by  the  wind,  send  them  to  New-  York. 
Vessels  could  be  purchased  in  Norfolk  at  that  time 
for  one-third  of  their  real  value  in  time  of  peace  ; 
and  the  price  of  coal  in  New-  York  was  three  or  four 
times  as  much  as  in  Norfolk. 

My  wages,  as  master,  was  one  hundred  dollars 
per  month,  and  I  drew  one-fourth  of  the  profits  of 
the  whole  concern. 

On  the  14th  of  November  I  sailed  from  New- 
York  and  proceeded  to  Sandy  Hook,  where  I  discover 
ed  an  English  frigate  close  in  with  the  land,  in  chase 
of  an  American  schooner,  which  she  compelled  to 
run  ashore  near  Shrewsbury.  1  sailed  into  Mosquitto 
Cove,  and  took  shelter  among  some  thirty  American 
gun-boats,  the  crews  of  which  went  as  volunteers 
to  protect  the  wreck  of  the  schooner  from  being 


32  DUNHAM'S 

plundered  by  the  English  frigate,  which  they  accom 
plished. 

After  tarrying  two  days  at  Mosquitto  Cove,  we 
weighed  anchor  and  proceeded  to  sea,  keeping  as 
near  the  land  as  we  could  without  being  in  danger 
of  running  aground,  until  we  were  some  distance 
south  of  Cape  Henlopen,  when  a  violent  gale  of 
south-east  wind  commenced,  and  with  our  utmost 
exertions  we  succeeded  in  running  into  the  bay. 

Here  I  ascertained  that  my  pilot,  whom  I  had 
taken  much  pains  to  obtain,  and  who  at  the  time  I 
employed  him  had  informed  me  he  was  well  ac 
quainted  with  that  coast,  had  deceived  me  ;  he  now 
for  the  first  time  informed  me  that  he  knew  nothing 
of  the  different  shoals  and  inlets  on  the  Southern 
coast.  I  had  now  no  alternative  but  to  run  by  chance 
and  keep  a  sharp  look  out  for  breakers.  My  little 
sloop  was  literally  buried  under  water.  The  gale 
kept  increasing  until  near  night,  when  she  struck 
upon  a  shoal.  She  thumped  terribly,  and  almost 
every  sea  was  breaking  entirely  over  us  when  a  sea 
man  exclaimed,  "  She  is  bilged,  a  plank  has  come 
up  from  her  bottom."  On  examination  we  found  it 
was  the  shoe  of  her  keel.  We  tried  the  pump  and 
found  we  could  keep  her  free  of  water  by  pretty 
hard  labor.  Soon  after,  she  thumped  over  the  shoal 
into  nine  feet  water,  where  she  did  not  strike  so  often, 
and  remained  there  until  dawn.  At  daylight  we 
cast  out  the  anchors  and  succeeded  in  getting  her 
into  three  or  four  fathoms  water. 


VOYAGES.  33 

We  then  commenced  repairing  damages  in  the 
best  manner  we  could.  Her  false  keel  had  been 
broken  and  had  swung  across  her  main  keel,  which 
we  could  not  repair.  We  then  made  sail  for  Chesa 
peake  Bay  and  arrived  that  day  about  sun-set,  with 
out  any  material  mishap. 

Soon  after,  a  light  easterly  wind  sprung  up,  and 
we  made  sail  for  Norfolk.  After  entering  the  bay 
the  wind  slackened.  About  11  o'clock  in  the  evening 
it  became  a  dead  calm,  with  a  thick  fog :  a  strong 
tide  set  in,  which  prevented  my  going  out  to  sea 
again.  Soon  after  midnight  we  heard  the  cry,  "  Past 
2  o'clock,  and  all's  well,"  which  I  afterwards  ascer 
tained  proceeded  from  His  Britanic  Majesty's  ship 
Dragon,  74  guns,  commanded  by  Commodore  Barry, 
lying  at  anchor  in  the  bay. 

We  continued  drifting  into  the  bay  until  about 
sunrise,  when  a  light  breeze  sprung  up  and  dispersed 
the  fog,  and  we  found  ourselves  drifting  directly  to 
wards  an  English  20  gun  brig  called  the  Sophia,  and 
the  Acton  of  16  guns,  both  lying  at  anchor  within  a 
mile  of  us.  We  were  soon  boarded  from  the  Sophia, 
and  we  and  our  baggage  taken  on  board  of  her. 
The  brigs  then  got  under  weigh  and  proceeded  up 
the  bay,  taking  my  sloop  in  tow,  and  anchored  at 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Severn. 

During  the  next  night  they  fitted  out  an  expedi 
tion  of  four  or  five  boats,  and  sent  them  up  the  river 
to  cut  out  two  or  three  of  our  vessels  which  were 
lying  in  the  harbor,  but  they  soon  returned  without 

2* 


34  DUNHAM'S 

accomplishing  their  design,  having  only  obtained  a 
quantity  of  plunder.  They  told  me  the  inhabitants 
gave  them  a  warm  reception,  by  firing  from  behind 
trees  and  fences,  and  caused  them  to  abandon  the 
vessels.  They  weighed  anchor -the  next  morning, 
and  after  cruising  about  the  bay,  again  took  their 
station  near  Watt's  Island.  Here  they  made  their 
rendezvous  for  some  time ;  the  officers  occasionally 
going  on  shore,  some  days  cruising  about,  and  re 
turning  to  the  usual  anchorage  at,  night.  They  pro 
cured  an  abundance  of  cattle,  sheep  and  poultry  from, 
the  Island,  and  in  about  nine  or  ten  days  captured 
eight  old  schooners  loaded  with  flour,  from  the  Rap- 
pahannock,  and  bound  to  the  Eastern  markets.  They 
sailed  from  there  and  anchored  in  Lynn  Haven  Bay, 
where  we  were  sent  on  board  the  commodore's  ship 
Dragon.  I  found  twelve  American  captains  prisoners 
on  board  the  commodore's  ship,  who  had  been  cap 
tured  by  the  Squadron.  The  prizes  which  they  had 
taken  were  small  old  vessels,  some  of  which  they 
stripped  of  their  rigging  and  sails  and  set  on  fire ; 
some  parted  their  cables  in  a  gale  of  wind  and 
drifted  to  sea,  my  vessel  among  them.  But  my 
sloop,  the  New- York,  and  one  or  two  others  were 
afterwards  towed  back  by  the  frigate  and  sent  to 
Bermuda. 

The  American  captains  were  quartered  with  the 
petty  officers,  such  as  midshipmen,  captain's  clerks, 
&c.  and  were  treated  with  gin,  segars,  &c.  and  pass 
ed  their  time  very  jovially  in  telling  stories,  bragging 


VOYAGES.  35 

of  our  naval  engagements,  &c.  I  must  here  tell 
a  story  related  to  me  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
Dragon. 

He  said  the  Americans  ought  to  be  damned  if 
they  did  not  make  an  admiral  of  one  Captain  Tur 
ner,  who  commanded  a  Baltimore  schooner.  He  said 
that  while  they  were  blockading  the  coast  of  France 
they  captured  him  and  his  schooner;  they  put  a 
prize-master  and  crew  on  board,  and  the  crew  of  the 
schooner  were  put  on  board  the  Squadron,  except 
Captain  Turner  and  the  cook,  who  remained  on  the 
schooner,  which  was  ordered  to  sail  for  England. 
The  next  day  Turner  succeeded  in  getting  the  prize- 
master  and  crew  drunk,  killed  the  prize-master  and 
part  of  the  crew,  and  confined  the  remainder.  He 
then  returned  to  France  with  his  vessel,  shipped  a 
new  crew,  and  put  to  sea  again.  One  morning  they 
discovered  from  the  Squadron,  a  schooner  in  com 
pany  with  two  frigates,  being  between  the  schooner 
and  the  land.  The  Dragon  steered  directly  for  the 
schooner,  while  the  frigates  steered  in  different  direc 
tions,  to  prevent  the  schooner  from  going  back  again 
into  port.  The  Dragon  by  setting  all  her  light  sails 
was  fast  coming  up  with  her,  and  commenced  firing 
her  bow  guns,  to  which  the  schooner  paid  no  atten 
tion.  They  soon  came  within  musket-shot  and  fired 
a  number  of  volleys  which  riddled  the  schooner's 
sails.  The  captain  of  the  Dragon  then  gave  orders 
to  cease  firing,  as  he  considered  it  cold-blooded  mur 
der.  On  coming  within  a  few  rods  of  the  schooner 


36  DUNHAM'S 

they  saw  but  one  man  on  board,  and  standing  at  the 
wheel.  When  within  a  short  distance  he  suddenly 
put  down  her  helm,  which  brought  her  broad  side 
across  the  ship's  bow,  intending  that  the  ship  should 
run  over  her.  But  the  ship's  helm  was  immediately 
put  up,  which  caused  her  to  strike  the  schooner  near 
the  bow  and  brought  her  alongside  of  the  ship.  They 
then  hailed,  "  What  schooner  is  that  ?"  To  which 
the  man  at  the  helm  replied,  "  The  Prize,  Captain 
Turner,  the  very  man  you  are  looking  for."  On  board 
ing  the  schooner,  they  found  the  crew  all  below,  ex 
cept  the  captain,  who  said  he  did  not  wish  to  expose 
his  crew  to  their  fire.  He  said  the  excitement  was 
great  on  board  the  ship: that  all  the  officers  signed 
a  petition  to  mitigate  Turner's  punishment. 

While  we  were  lying  in  Lynn  Haven  Bay,  the 
Dragon  had  captured  a  small  vessel,  put  on  board  of 
her  a  cannonade  or  short  nine-pounder,  a  quantity  of 
small  arms,  and  called  her  the  "Snap  Dragon." 
They  sent  her  out  in  pursuit  of  plunder  and  slaves, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  whom  were  captured 
as  runaways  from  their  masters.  But  on  one  of 
the  expeditions  of  the  Snap  Dragon,  she  was  cap 
tured  by  the  Americans,  having  thirty  men  on  board, 
and  the  prisoners  sent  to  Baltimore.  Soon  after  an  ex 
change  was  agreed  upon  by  which  the  prisoners  of 
the  Snap  Dragon  were  exchanged  for  the  Americans 
on  board  the  ship.  When  the  crew  of  the  Snap  Dra 
gon  were  brought  on  board  the  ship  we  were  all  dis 
charged,  which  caused  no  little  rejoicing  among  us. 


VOYAGES.  37 

• 

We  then  returned  to  Baltimore,  took  leave  of  each 
other  and  made  our  way  to  our  respective  homes. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Sloop  Biddle. 

Soon  after  my  unfortunate  adventure  in  the  New- 
York,  I  took  command  of  a  schooner  called  the  Caty 
Ann,  and  made  a  voyage  to  Savannah  and  back  to 
New- York,  without  capture.  Although  Sir  James 
Yeo,  in  the  South  Hampton  frigate,  was  closely  block 
ading  Savannah  at  the  time.  I  made  a  second  at 
tempt  to  proceed  to  the  same  port.  After  sailidg 
ing  a  few  miles  south  of  Sandy  Hook  light-house 
we  were  chased  back  by  an  English  frigate,  and  the 
schooner  narrowly  escaped  being  captured.  The 
whole  coast  was  so  closely  blockaded  that  I  aban 
doned  going  to  sea  again  until  after  peace  was  pro 
claimed. 

About  the  first  of  May,  1813, 1  took  charge  of  the 
brig  Cyrus,  of  New- York,  and  made  one  voyage  to 
Georgetown,  South  Carolina,  and  back,  and  then 
made  another  to  Bermuda  and  Turk's  Island. 

Ever  ready  to  sacrifice  my  personal  comfort  for 
the  prospect  of  increasing  the  means  of  gaining  an 
honest  living — being  in  the  prime  of  life  and  enjoy 
ing  good  health,  and  that  huge  monster,  Fear,  seldom 


3b  DUNHAM'S 

» 

throwing  his  dark  shadow  across  my  path — I  engag 
ed  again  to  open  a  trade  with  the  Indians  on  the 
Musquito  Shore,  on  the  borders  of  South  America, 
now  called  New  Greneda,  or  Central  America.  This 
country  formerly  belonged  to  the  government  of 
Spain,  which  still  tried  to  exercise  authority  over  it, 
although  rebellions  had  broken  out  both  in  the  North 
and  South  of  it ;  and,  the  then  called  government  of 
Columbia,  under  General  Bolivar,  aided  by  a  num 
ber  of  Americans  and  others,  with  vessels  commis 
sioned  as  privateers,  and  land  forces,  made  a 
strong  resistance  to  the  Spanish  government.  They 
fought  many  desperate  battles  with  the  royalists, 
under  what  was  then  called  the  Patriot,  or  Colum 
bian  flag.  Carthagena,  their  largest  sea-port,  was 
taken  and  re-taken  three  several  times,  and  every 
man  in  it  put  to  death. 

The  king  of  the  Musquito  Indians  claims  the 
sea-coast  of  that  country  from  the  False  Cape, 
lat.  15°  14'  N.  to  Port  Boro  Toro,  lat.  9°  29'  N. 
The  government  of  Old  Spain  likewise  claimed  it, 
but  never  had  been  able  to  dispossess  the  Indians. 
The  sea-board  of  this  country  is  very  level,  inter 
spersed  with  lakes,  rivers  and  creeks.  From  May 
until  November  the  country  is  visited  with  heavy 
showers  of  rain. .  In  many  places  I  have  from  time  to 
time  walked  in  water  some  inches  deep  to  go  from  one 
house  to  another.  The  Indian  towns  are  mostly  built 
some  distance  up  the  rivers  or  creeks,  to  secure  them 
from  any  attacks  from  the  sea-board.  They  have  no 


VOYAGES.  39 

roads  inland,  their  whole  travel  being  in  canoes,  by 
which  means  they  can  visit  the  different  tribes,  haul 
ing  them  across  narrow  necks  of  land  that  separate 
one  lake  or  river  from  another. 

The  Spanish  government,  under  an  old  blocakd- 
ing  decree  had  declared  that  any  person  found  trad 
ing  with  these  Indians,  if  captured,  should  lose  his 
cargo  by  confiscation,  and  be  sent  to  the  mines  for 
life.  The  government  of  Spain  likewise  claimed 
three  small  islands  near  the  Musquito  Shore,  viz : 
Old  Providence,  lying  in  lat.  13U  27'  N.  long.  80°  39' 
W.  This  island  I  found  inhabited  by  about  thirty 
families  of  free  people  of  different  nations  and  colors, 
and  from  five  to  thirty  slaves  to  every  free  person  in 
the  island.  St.  Andreas,  lying  in  lat.  12°  33'  N.  long. 
81°  W.  It  contains  about  seventy-five  families  of 
free  people,  and  about  eight  hundred  slaves ;  it  was 
lately  the  residence  of  a  Spanish  Governor  named 
Gonzales.  This  place  had  a  small  fort,  garrisoned 
with  about  thirty  soldiers.  I  shall  hereafter  give  the 
reader  a  further  description  of  the  island,  related  to 
me  by  Captain  Mitchell,  commonly  called  Mitchell 
the  Pirate.*  Great  Corn  Island  lays  in  lat.  12°  19' 

*  The  only  account  I  have  ever  read  of  Mitchell  is,  that  he 
was  a  partner  with  Lafitte,  the  Pirate,  when  they  took  possession 
of  Baratara,  where  they  carried  their  prizes.  They  kept  posses 
sion  of  the  place  for  some  considerable  time,  bidding  defiance  to 
the  authorities  on  that  coast.  Governor  Claibourne,  of  Louisiana, 
afterwards  issued  a  proclamation,  offering  these  pirates  a  free 
pardon  on  condition  that  they  would  join  the  army  then  under 
command  of  General  Jackson,  for  the  defence  of  New  Orleans. 


40  DUNHAM'S 

N.  long.  82°  II7  W.  about  forty  miles  from  the  main 
land.  Little  Corn  Island,  lying  about  ten  miles  from 
the  great  one,  is  inhabited,  and  produces  large  quan 
tities  of  cocoa  nuts  and  wild  fruits. 

The  staple  produce  of  the  above  named  island  is 
cotton.  The  soil  is  fertile  and  produces  plantains, 
yams,  sweet  potatoes,  and  Tropical  fruits  in  abun 
dance.  The  inhabitants  raise  plenty  of  hogs  and 
poultry,  which  they  fatten  on  cocoa  nuts,  the  oil 
from  which,  while  fresh,  is  equal  to  lard  for  cooking 
fish,  &c.  and  after  it  becomes  rancid  burns  well  in 
lamps. 

About  the  first  of  January,  1816,  I  made  a  con 
tract  with  the  Messrs.  Cotheal  &  Hoff  and  Mr.  A. 
S.  Hallett,  merchants  of  New- York,  to  take  charge 
of  a  small  sloop  called  the  Biddle,  of  thirty-two  tons 
burthen.  I  was  to  proceed  to  Musquito  Shore,  land 
at  the  island  of  Old  Providence,  (if  I  saw  no  suspi 
cious  looking  vessels  in  the  harbor ;)  and  open  a 
trade  with  the  Indians  for  the  purchase  of  tortoise 
shell,  which  was  very  valuable  at  this  time ;  these 
Indians  furnish  large  quantities  of  that  article.  I 
likewise  had  orders  to  exchange  my  goods  for  hides, 
deer-skins,  cochineal,  gum  elastic  or  India  rubber, 
gum  copal,  cotton,  fustick,  sarsaparilla,  &c. 

They  accepted  of  the  Governor's  terms,  repaired  to  that  place 
with  all  their  men,  and  put  themselves  under  the  command  of 
the  General,  who  placed  them  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  battle, 
where  they  fought  in  the  most  gallant  manner.  Lafitte  and 
Mitchell  both  held  commissions  under  the  government  of  the 
Republic  of  Columbia  at  this  time. 


VOYAGES.  41 

I  took  on  board  an  assorted  cargo,  calculated 
for  a  barter  trade.  As  I  was  totally  unacquainted 
with  the  trade,  this  voyage  was  considered  an  ex 
perimental  trip.  On  my  arrival  the  inhabitants  in 
formed  me  that  they  had  not  seen  the  American  flag 
flying  there  for  the  last  fourteen  years. 

I  could  not  procure  any  correct  charts  of  that 
coast.  I  found  many  shoals  that  never  had  made 
their  appearance  on  any  chart,  so  little  had  these 
seas  been  surveyed.  I  suppose  young  mariners  have 
less  difficulty  in  that  respect  now,  as  Queen  Victoria 
has  become  god-mother  to  the  young  king  of  Mus- 
quito  Shore,  and  taken  him  under  her  parental  care, 
to  assist  him  in  robbing  his  neighbors'  territories. 

1  will  here  give  the  reader  a  short  description  of 
the  country,  the  undertaking,  and  some  account  of 
the  disasters  which  befell  me  in  the  prosecution  of 
the  voyage.  Having  loaded  my  little  sloop,  (about 
the  size  of  a  clam  boat,)  I  soon  shipped  a  crew,  which 
consisted  of  a  North  River  captain,  who  had  never 
been  out  of  the  sight  of  land,  to  act  as  my  mate ; 
and  two  old  broken-down  sailors,  one  acting  as  sea 
man  and  the  other  as  cook.  We  sailed  about  the 
first  of  February,  with  a  fair  wind,  and  made  our 
passage  in  twenty-two  days  to  the  Island  of  Old  Pro 
vidence,  where  we  hoisted  our  flag  for  a  pilot.  I 
soon  discovered  a  fishing  canoe,  having  one  white 
man  and  three  or  four  negroes  on  board,  who  volun 
teered  to  pilot  us  into  the  harbor.  I  inquired  of  the 
white  man,  whose  name  was  John  Taylor,  one  of 


42  DUNHAM'S 

the  largest  planters  in  the  island,  for  a  Mr.  Hoy,  to 
whom  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction.  Mr.  Taylor  re 
plied  that  Mr.  Hoy  was  dead,  that  he  was  his  father- 
in-law.  He  took  the  letter,  promised  me  friendly  as 
sistance,  and  piloted  my  vessel  into  the  harbor.  The 
inhabitants  soon  came  on  board  and  commenced  a 
brisk  trade  with  me.  Previous  to  leaving  New- York, 
I  was  advised  not  to  enter  the  harbor  of  Old  Provi 
dence  if  I  saw  any  vessel  looking  like  a  privateer  or 
man-of-war  in  sight  of  the  place.  In  the  afternoon  I 
kept  a  good  look  out  with  my  spy-glass,  until  near 
sun-set,  when  I  discovered  a  schooner  beating  up 
under  the  lee  of  the  island.  I  immediately  applied 
to  my  new  friend,  Taylor,  to  pilot  me  out  of  the  har 
bor,  promising  him  to  return  again  in  a  few 'days, 
which  he  utterly  refused.  He  told  me  that  the  ves 
sel  in  sight  was  a  privateer  belonging  to  Captain 
Mitchell,  who  commanded  her — that  Captain  M. 
kept  his  (Taylor's)  daughter  as  a  wife,  and  that 
Mitchell  was  a  clever  fellow  and  would  not  molest 
me.  As  the  channel  of  the  harbor  was  narrow  and 
difficult  to  pass  through,  I  decided  to  remain  at 
anchor  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  getting  the  vessel 
on  shore,  considering  it  was  best  to  keep  quiet  and 
trust  to  fortune.  I  felt  somewhat .  agitated  as  the 
privateer  approached  the  land,  it  being  a  dark  night. 
About  12  o'clock  she  anchored  a  short  distance 
from  us,  when  I  was  hailed  from  her,  asking,  "  What 
sloop  is  that,  and  from  whence  come  you  ?"  1 
answered,  "Sloop  Biddle,  from  New- York."  In  a 


VOYAGES.  43 

few  moments  a  boat  came  alongside  with  the  captain 
and  eight  men,  all  armed.  I  showed  the  captain  my 
papers,  and  assured  him  my  cargo  was  bona  fide 
American  property.  He  answered  me,  saying,  "  We 
shall  see  more  about  that  to-morrow  morning."  He 
then  left  me  and  returned  to  his  own  vessel.  Soon 
after  I  heard  the  report  of  a  large  cannon  from  the 
privateer,  which  was  mounted  on  a  circle,  filled  with 
chain  and  grape-shot,  and  pointed  towards  the  shore, 
where  it  cut  a  decent  road  through  the  small  trees. 
The  next  morning  Captain  Mitchell  told  me  the  gun 
was  loaded  full  to  the  muzzle,  and  that  when  he 
loaded  it  he  intended  to  fire  into  my  vessel  without 
hailing  her,  supposing  she  was  Spanish,  to  whom 
he  showed  no  quarter.  On  a  second  reflection  he 
thought  it  best  to  hail  the  sloop  before  he  fired.  He 
said,  "Had  I  fired  into  you,  I  should  have  cut  your 
vessel  all  in  pieces."  He  discharged  the  gun  toward 
the  shore  as  a  signal  to  send  a  horse'  to  convey  him 
to  Mr.  John  Taylor's,  whom  he  called  his  father-in- 
law,  as  he  kept  his  daughter  Sarah  as  a  wife. 

Mitchell  appeared  to  have  full  control  over  the 
island,  and  no  one  dare  question  his  authority.  He 
had  made  this  place  his  rendezvous  for  some  time 
past,  bought  all  the  provisions  they  could  spare,  both 
from  masters  and  slaves,  and  paid  them  liberally, 
having  plenty  of  money  on  board,  and,  like  most  sea 
men,  was  lavish  in  its  expenditure.  He  had  lately 
escaped  from  Carthagena,  and  brought  a  few  half- 
starved  passengers  from  that  city.  In  running  past 


44  DUNHAM'S 

one  of  their  forts,  a  cannon   ball   had  struck  the 
schooner's  fore-mast  and  cut  it  half  off. 

One  of  the  passengers  informed  me  that  Cartha- 
gena  was  so  closely  besieged  by  the  royalists  at  that 
time,  that  cowhides  were  sold  at  twelve  dollars 
apiece,  for  food,  and  that  he  was  obliged  to  pay 
three  dollars  for  a  pilot-biscuit,  to  prevent  starva 
tion.  Some  time  after,  I  learned  that  the  city  was 
taken  and  all  the  inhabitants  put  to  death. 

The  next  morning  after  my  arrival  I  was  visited 
by  Captain  Mitchell,  John  Taylor,  and  most  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  island,  who  were  much  pleased  to 
see  an  American  vessel  in  the  harbor,  saying  it 
was  the  only  one  that  they  had  seen  there  in  many 
-years  past.  I  was  invited  on  shore  to  dine  at  Mr. 
Taylor's,  in  company  with  Captain  Mitchell,  where 
a  good  dinner  was  provided  for  us,  consisting  of 
roast  pig,  poultry,  &c.  My  plate  was  plentifully  sup 
plied  by  Captain  Mitchell.  On  looking  over  the  table 
I  did  not  discover  any  bread.  Soon  after  a  plate  of 
roasted  plantains  was  set  before  me.  I  took  one,  not 
knowing  how  to  use  it,  this  being  the  first  I  had  ever 
seen  of  this  kind  of  food.  I  soon  found  it  to  be  the 
common  bread  of  the  country.  We  were  politely 
waited  upon,  having  a  negro  boy,  from  ten  to  four 
teen  years  old,  without  one  rag  of  clothing  about 
him,  standing  behind  the  chair  of  each  person  at 
table,  with  a  bush  in  his  hand  to  keep  the  flies  from 
annoying  the  company.  The  following  day  I  was 
invited  to  dine  on  board  Captain  Mitchell's  vessel. 


VOYAGES.  45 

His*boat  was  sent  for  me  at  the  proper  hour,  and  I 
was  politely  received  on  board  and  soon  after  con 
ducted  to  the  table,  which  was  elegantly  furnished 
with  silver  platters,  plates,  knives,  forks,  spoons, 
pitchers,  tumblers,  &c.  and  with  the  exception  of 
knife-blades,  every  other  article  on  the  table  was 
pure  silver.  He  showed  me  many  valuable  diamonds, 
and  large  quantities  of  old  gold  and  silver ;  and  the 
least  valuable  article  I  saw  on  board  his  vessel  was 
the  schooner's  ballast,  which  consisted  of  brass 
cannon. 

I  opened  a  good  trade  with  the  inhabitants,  sell 
ing  goods  at  retail,  from  one  to  three  hundred  per 
cent  profit.  In  ten  days  I  sold  over  eighteen  hun 
dred  dollars'  worth ;  about  one-half  was  received  in 
money,  and  the  remainder  in  cotton.  I  took  part  of 
the  cotton  on  board,  and  the  balance  was  to  be  paid 
on  my  return  to  that  port. 

Captain  Mitchell  visited  me  daily,  and  told  me 
some  of  his  adventures.  He  said  that  a  few  months 
previous  he  had  captured  a  small  trading  schooner, 
armed  her  for  a  privateer,  and  appointed  one  Cap 
tain  Rose  to  the  command  of  her,  who  was  then  on 
a  cruise.  A  short  time  before,  Rose  had  been  with 
him  in  Old  Providence.  "While  laying  here,"  said  he, 
"  I  made  up  my  mind  to  sail  for  New- York,  and  there 
sell  my  vessel  and  cargo  and  retire  to  private  life, 
thinking  my  means  would  support  me.  One  morning, 
while  contemplating  my  future  enjoyments  when  I 
got  well  settled  in  New- York,  I  thought  it  would 


46  DUNHAM'S 

much  disturb  my  mind  to  think  that  old  Gonzales 
should  boast  that  he  had  frightened  Mitchell,  who 
dared  not  attack  him.  He  had  sent  me  many  saucy 
messages,  by  trading  vessels,  saying,  I  dare  not  come 
to  St.  Andreas,  to  annoy  him,  as  I  had  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Providence,  who  were  afraid  to  resist  me. 
These  reflections  so  affected  my  mind  that  I  imme 
diately  ordered  my  boat  manned  and  went  on  board 
of  Rose's  vessel.  I  told  Rose  that  we  would  never 
leave  these  seas  until  we  had  made  an  attack  on  St. 
Andreas,  and  that  he  must  prepare  himself  to  join 
me  on  the  morrow.  The  next  day  we  made  the 
necessary  preparation  and  sailed  for  that  island,  a 
distance  of  about  sixty  miles,  where  we  arrived  early 
in  the  evening,  ran  into  the  harbor  and  came  to 
anchor.  All  hands  on  board,  being  only  forty-six, 
including  officers  and  seamen,  had  volunteered  to 
make  an  attack  on  the  island.  We  all  landed,  about 
1 1  o'clock  at  night,  except  one  man  in  each  vessel. 
Being  well  acquainted  with  the  local  situation  of  the 
island,  I  proceeded  to  the  plantation  of  Mrs.  Lever, 
and  captured  her  negro-driver,  whose  name  was 
Frank,  and  told  him  to  conduct  me  secretly  to  his 
young  master  William,  if  he  did  not  I  would  kill 
him  instantly.  Frank  soon  led  me  to  William's  house, 
where  we  found  him  in  bed.  We  seized  him  without 
making  any  alarm,  and  told  him  that  death  was 
his  portion  if  he  did  not  go  with  us  without  making 
any  noise  and  strictly  obey  my  orders.  I  had  often 
heard  of  the  boastings  this  young  Lever  had  made  of 


VOYAGES.  47 

what  he  would  do  if  he  could  catch  Mitchell,  and 
thought  the  present  a  good  opportunity  to  retaliate 
upon  him.  I  then  told  him  he  must  conduct  me  to 
the  house  of  Governor  Gonzales  without  making  any 
alarm,  call  the  governor  from  his  bed  and  tell  him 
that  Captain  Mitchell  was  near  the  island  with  two 
privateers  ;  that  you  imagine  the  island  in  great  dan 
ger,  and  think  it  necessary  to  prepare  for  immediate 
defence. 

"  We  marched  directly  to  the  house,  where  we 
found  the  governor  in  bed.  I  kept  my  men  still,  not 
allowing  a  loud  word  to  be  spoken.  Lever  obeyed 
my  orders  punctually,  calling  the  old  man  out  of  bed 
by  telling  him  his  alarming  tale.  As  soon  as  the  old 
man  opened  the  door  I  took  hold  of  him  and  con 
veyed  him  on  board  of  my  vessel.  We  landed  a  six- 
pound  brass  cannon  during  the  night,  unroofed  the 
governor's  house,  and  mounted  the  gun  on  the  second 
floor  of  the  building.  I  sent  a  party  to  the  fort,  who 
put  to  death  a  few  soldiers  they  found  sleeping  there. 
A  number  having  taken  lodgings  with  their  families 
prevented  their  sharing  the  same  fate. 

"I  took  possession  of  the  governor's  house  for 
my  head  quarters,  where  I  issued  a  proclamation, 
addressed  to  the  inhabitants,  inviting  them  to  sur 
render  their  arms,  and  by  complying  with  the  request, 
all  private  property  should  be  respected.  About  ten 
o'clock  the  next  morning  1  discovered  a  collection  of 
about  sixty  men  with  two  nine-pound  carriage  guns, 
on  their  way  to  my  head  quarters.  Immediately 


48  DUNHAM'S 

beating  up  for  volunteers,  sixteen  men  agreed  to' 
follow  me.  On  marching  towards  the  enemy  they 
abandoned  their  field-pieces  and  dispersed  in  great 
haste.  We  dismounted  the  guns  and  spiked  them, 
burnt  the  carriages,  and  returned  to  our  head  quar 
ters  unmolested.  Three  days  after,  the  inhabitants 
accepted  of  the  proposed  terms,  and  all  opposition 
to  my  command  ceased.  I  took  the  governor's  ne 
groes,  money,  plate,  &c.  and  repaired  on  board, 
where  I  remained  some  days,  treating  the  old  fellow 
politely  at  my  table,  feeding  him  on  the  best  the 
island  produced,  furnishing  him  with  wine  at  his 
dinner,  and  plenty  of  Spanish  segars.  In  a  few  days 
he  appeared  cheerful,  composed,  and  conversed  with 
me  in  a  familiar  manner.  On  the  tenth  day  after  his 
capture  I  gave  him  a  good  dinner,  took  a  glass  of 
wine  with  him,  and  told  him  I  was  going  to  hang 
him  that  afternoon.  He  laughed,  supposing  it  a 
joke,  and  that  I  had  no  intention  of  harming  him. 
He  was  sitting  in  an  armed-chair  near  the  cabin 
door,  on  deck,  smoking  a  segar,  when  I  ordered  one" 
of  the  seamen  to  reave  a  yard- rope  from  the  fore- 
yard,  bring  the  end  aft  and  put  it  round  his  neck. 
He  was  soon  dragged  from  the  chair  to  the  fore- 
yard-arm." 

After  Captain  Mitchell  had  related  his  story,  I 
asked  him  what  he  did  with  his  body ;  he  replied, 
"  I  let  him  hang  about  an  hour,  and  then  cut  the  rope 
and  let  the  old  devil  go  adrift."  I  said  he  should 
have  spared  his  life,  he  being  an  old  man  who  could 


VOYAGES.  49 

never  do  him  much  harm.  He  replied,  "  I  have  serv 
ed  him  the  same  as  they  will  serve  me  when  they 
catch  me." 

Captain  Mitchell  told  me  he  was  now  bound  to 
New- York,  which  he  intended  to  make  his  perma 
nent  residence,  but  he  must  go  by  the  way  of  New 
Orleans,  as  he  had  fourteen  -  negro  slaves  he  wanted 
to  sell  there.  I  told  him  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
strictly  forbid  the  carrying  of  slaves  into  that  coun 
try  ;  if  he  was  caught  in  the  act  his  vessel  and  cargo 
would  be  forfeited.  He  said  he  was  well  acquainted 
with  one  Sisson,  a  New  Orleans  pilot,  who  would 
smuggle  them  on  shore  for  him.  I  cautioned  him 
against  the  attempt,  by  saying,  "  Captain  Mitchell, 
be  careful  that  those  negroes  do  not  sell  you  before 
you  do  them."  He  has  often,  since  the  loss  of  his 
vessel  and  cargo,  repeated  to  me  the  caution  I  then 
gave  him.  He  made  a  contract  with  me  to  return  to 
Providence,  after  I  had  been  to  Musquito  Shore  and 
disposed  of  my  cargo,  and  take  Miss  Sarah  'Taylor 
(whom  he  called  his  wife)  and  her  servant  to  New- 
York,  agreeing  to  pay  me  three  hundred  and  thirty 
dollars  for  their  passages ;  saying  he  intended  to 
proceed  along  the  coast  of  Cuba  in  search  of 
Spanish  vessels,  and  in  all  probability  would  have 
some  hard  engagements,  and  did  not  want  a  woman 
sniffling  about  him ;  and  that  he  would  eventually 
meet  her  in  New- York. 

Miss  Sarah  Taylor  was  educated  in  Jamaica, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  a  lady  of  some  accom- 


50 

plishments,  although  she  was  living  as  a  concubine. 

Captain  Mitchell  was  a  man  of  some  education, 
about  five  feet  six  inches  high,  dark  hair  and  eyes, 
and  had  the  appearance  of  a  gentleman  ;  was  very 
liberal  to  unfortunate  seamen,  and  one  of  the  greatest 
tyrants  to  exercise  authority  over  them  that  I  have 
ever  heard  of.  He  had  at  that  time  two  sailors  lying 
in  the  stocks  near  Taylor's  house,  with  their  ancles 
two  feet  above  the  ground,  they  lying  out  of  doors  on 
their  backs,  their  bodies  exposed  to  the  sun  for  two 
or  three  days.  He  informed  me  that  he  had  captured 
a  prize  some  time  previous,  and  the  prize-master  and 
crew  had  run  away  with  the  vessel ;  that  he  then 
took  an  oath  to  shoot  any  of  the  crew  if  he  ever  saw 
them  again.  A  few  months  after,  he  visited  Corn 
Island,  where  one  of  the  crew  happened  to  arrive. 
Some  of  the  inhabitants  cautioned  the  man  to  keep 
out  of  his  sight.  He  boastingly  replied  that  Mitchell 
dared  not  shoot  him.  Mitchell  said  he  hoped  the  man 
would  not  appear  in  his  presence,  as  he  did  not  want 
to  kill  him.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  one  day  when  I  was 
taking  a  walk  on  the  island  he  (knowing  I  had  made 
he  threat)  presented  himself  a  short  distance  before 
me,  when  I  took  a  musket  and  shot  him  dead." 

Some  of  the  inhabitants  informed  me  that  the 
negro  cook  belonging  on  board  his  vessel  asked 
him  one  day  what  he  should  cook  for  his  dinner. 
Mitchell  told  him  to  kill  a  pig  which  they  had  on 
board.  The  cook  did  not  understand  his  answer,  and 
knowing  his  ungovernable  temper,  dared  not  ask  him 


VOYAGES.  61 

a  second  time,  but  built  his  fire  and  had  his  water 
boiling.  At  twelve  o'clock  Mitchell  asked  him  what 
he  was  cooking  for  dinner,  to  which  the  cook  replied, 
"  I  did  not  understand  what  you  wanted  for  dinner." 
Mitchell  seized  him  by  the  hair  of  his  head  with  one 
hand,  and  with  a  ladle  in  the  other  poured  the  boil 
ing  water  on  him  until  he  scalded  him  to  death.  One 
of  the  sailors  told  him  he  thought  that  was  hard 
usage.  Mitchell  immediately  drew  a  pistol  from  his 
belt  and  shot  the  sailor  dead  and  then  threw  him 
overboard. 

Captain  Mitchell  informed  me  that  some  years 
since  he  was  cast  away  on  the  shore  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  found  it  necessary  to  cross  over  the 
country  by  land  to  the  Atlantic  coast  to  get  home, 
that  he  was  arrested  for  not  having  a  passport  to 
travel.  He  was  thrown  into  prison  and  for  some 
misdemeanor  was  put  into  the  stocks,  where  he  had 
to  lie  on  his  back  for  some  months,  and  while  thus 
confined  he  had  taken  an  oath  that  he  would  never 
die  in  peace  until  he  had  killed  one  hundred  Spa 
niards  with  his  own  hands.  Some  three  years  after 
this  time  I  accosted  him  in  a  humorous  manner,  by 
saying,  "Mitchell  how  many  have  you  due  now?" 
He  replied,  "  Seventeen,  by  G — d,  Dunham,  I  have 
killed  eighty-three  with  my  own  hands." 


52  DUNHAM'S 


CHAPTER     IV. 

After  ten-  days  successful  trade  at  Old  Provi 
dence,  I  got  under  weigh  and  proceeded  towards 
Musquito  Shore,  and  in  the  day-time  ran  in  near 
the  land,  but  could  not  discover  any  settlements.  I 
kept  beating  to  the  northward,  keeping  as  near  the 
shore  as  safety  would  admit,  with  a  good  look-out 
for  houses  or  canoes.  By  my  observations  I  found  a 
strong  current  setting  to  the  southward.  After  beat 
ing  up  three  days,  we  discovered  a  number  of  Indian 
houses  near  the  entrance  of  a  bay  which  appeared 
like  a  good  harbor.  From  my  reckoning  I  supposed 
this  place  to  be  Cape  Gracios  a  Dios,  (mercy  of  God.) 
I  carefully  sounded  my  way  into  the  harbor  and 
anchored. 

Soon  after  we  anchored,  a  canoe  containing  six 
or  eight  Indians,  having  a  stripe  of  hair  about  three 
inches  broad,  extending  from  one  ear  to  the  other 
across  the  top  of  their  heads,  which  were  shaved 
close  to  the  skin,  came  out  to  our  vessel.  They  spoke 
to  us  in  broken  English.  I  asked  them  if  this  place 
was  called  the  Cape.  They  answered  "  Yes."  We 
discovered  an  English  Island  flag  flying  on  shore 
near  the  largest  house,  and  asking  them  who  owned 
the  house  where  the  flag  was  flying ;  they  answered 
"  Admiral  Dalby  ;"  looking  at  me  with  some  surprise, 
they  exclaimed,  "  Don't  you  know  Admiral  Dalby  ?" 


VOYAGES.  53 

Supposing  I  had  to  appear  before  some  great 
chief,  whose  name  sounded  so  loud  in  my  ears,  I  put 
on  my  best  go-a-shore  suit,  to  use  an  old  sailor  phrase, 
and  treating  the  Indians  with  rum,  &c.  went  on 
shore  with  them,  and  was  conducted  tfl  the  house  of 
Admiral  Dalby,  whom  I  found  dressed  in  a  clean 
shirt  and  white  pantaloons,  a  cotton  handkerchief  tied 
on  his  head,  and  an  old  English  Admiral's  red  vest, 
with  some  old  lace  trimmings,  having  long  skirts  ex 
tending  nearly  to  his  knees,  and  without  shoes.  See 
ing  his  majestic  appearance,  I  approached  him  writh 
all  the  politeness  of  a  French  dancing-master.  After 
the  ceremonies  were  ended,  he  asked  me  what  coun 
try  I  came  from,  and  what  articles  I  wanted  to  pur 
chase.  I  replied  that  I  came  from  New- York,  in 
North  America,  and  that  I  belonged  to  the  same 
continent  that  he  did ;  that  I  wanted  to  purchase 
tortoise-shell,  cow-hides,  deer-skins,  gum  elastic,  gum 
copal,  cochineal,  &c.  We  spent  some  time  in  ascer 
taining  the  Indian  names  of  the  gums,  &c.  before 
he  understood  what  articles  I  wanted  to  purchase. 
He  said,  "  Indian  man  and  American  man  all  one 
country  belongs  to,  all  the  same  as  brothers,  me  right 
king's  officer,  all  white  men  must  help  urn ;  me  good 
man,  have  good  head,  savy  good  ?  this  place  all  me 
belong  to.  To-morrow  I  send  plenty  men  to  fetch 
you  skins,  gums,  and  every  thing  you  want. 

After  all  our  arrangements  were  completed,  it 
being  the  first  time  I  ever  had  the  honor  of  negotiat 
ing  with  an  admiral,  I  invited  him  to  go  on  board  my 


54  DUNHAM'S 

vessel  and  drink  tea  with  me ;  which  invitation  he 
readily  accepted.  On  our  arrival  on  board,  my  little 
table  was  soon  placed  on  deck  under  an  awning. 
The  cook  supplied  us  with  the  best  our  little  sloop 
afforded ;  the  admiral  was  seated  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  and  waited  on  in  the  politest  manner.  After 
he  had  finished  his  tea,  he  drank  a  few  glasses  of 
rum  and  returned  to  his  home. 

When  the  cook  set  his  table  the  next  morning, 
he  missed  his  tea  spoons.  Diligent  search  was 
made  for  them,  but  they  could  not  be  found.  We 
charged  the  poor  old  cook  with  throwing  them  over 
board  in  shaking  out  his  crumbs  of  the  table-cloth, 
which  he  strongly  denied.  The  spoons  cost  about  two 
or  three  cents  apiece.  The  next  day  I  called  at  the 
admiral's  house,  where  I  saw  his  children  playing 
with  my  spoons.  On  inquiring  I  found  the  admiral 
had  carried  them  on  shore  in  his  breeches  pocket. 
I  remained  at  the  Cape  about  one  week,  where  I 
purchased  a  small  quantity  of  tortoise-shell,  some 
hides,  deer-skins,  tiger-skins,  gums,  &c.  My  owners 
had  given  me  orders  on  my  arrival  in  that  country 
to  procure  an  Indian  pilot  who  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  coast. 

My  old  friend,  Admiral  Dalby,  procured  me  a  pilot 
to  conduct  me  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  where  most  of 
the  inhabitants  spoke  good  English.  I  had  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  an  inhabitant  of  that  place,  whose 
name  was  Edward  Patterson,  a  native  of  Curracoa, 
who  had  lived  with  the  Musquitoes  many  years, 


VOYAGES.  55 

intermarried  with  them.  The  pilot  and  his  son-in- 
law  came  on  board.  I  was  compelled  to  hire  the  lat 
ter  that  he  might  assist  his  father-in-law  in  returning 
with  his  canoe.  The  price  agreed  on  was  ten  yards 
of  Osriabergs  to  each  ;  no  difference  in  the  price, 
whether  the  voyage  was  performed  in  one  week,  or 
I  detained  him  three  months :  it  was  all  the  same. 
We  weighed  anchor  and  proceeded  to  the  south 
ward,  intending  to  stop  at  every  settlement  between 
the  Cape  and  Pearl  Key  Lagoon.  The  next  day  we 
anchored  at  Sandy  Bay.  Soon  after,  we  were  visited 
by  Governor  Clemente,  Admiral  Hammer,  General 
McLean,  and  many  petty  officers  and  citizens.  After 
treating  with  a  few  gallons  of  rum,  by  way  of  intro 
duction,  I  opened  a  brisk  trade  with  them,  bartering 
my  goods  for  the  same  kind  of  articles  I  had  bought 
at  the  Cape.  The  governor  brought  on  board  with 
him  one  of  his  nine  living  wives.  After  remaining 
here  three  days,  we  got  under  weigh  and  steered 
southward,  keeping  near  the  land,  under  the  direc 
tion  of-the  pilot.  In  the  evening  I  began  to  doubt  his 
skill,  and  often  hove  the  lead  to  satisfy  myself,  the 
pilot  being  stationed  forward  to  keep  a  good  look 
out.  About  ten  o'clock  I  heard  the  sound  of  out,  out, 
out.  I  looked  under  the  lee  of  the  boom  and  discov 
ered  we  were  near  the  breakers.  We  attempted  to 
tack  ship,  but  found  it  impossible.  In  a  few  moments 
we  were  driven  upon  the  reef,  unshipping  our  rud 
der  and  thumping  so  hard  that  I  expected  she  would 
break  in  pieces.  About  an  hour  after,  she  beat  over 


56  DUNHAM'S 

the  shoal  into  nine  feet  water,  where  we  came  to 
anchor.  The  next  day  I  sounded  a  passage  out  be 
tween  the  shoals.  In  heaving  the  vessel  through  the 
passage  we  broke  our  largest  anchor,  and  finding  it 
impossible  to  save  her,  hoisted  the  jib  and  ran  her 
on  shore.  When  the  wind  abated  we  landed  our 
sails,  dry  goods  and  hardware.  We  built  a  com 
fortable  tent,  which  protected  our  goods  from  the 
rains  which  visit  that  country  almost  every  day  from 
May  until  November.  We  found  ourselves  near  the 
mouth  of  a  river  called  Waa-waa,  some  fifteen  miles 
from  the  residence  of  Governor  Clemente.  After  re 
maining  here  a  few  days  I  sent  the  pilot  to  the 
governor's  residence,  claiming  his  protection  and  re 
questing  him  to  furnish  me  with  men  and  canoes  to 
transport  my  goods  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  and  I 
would  pay  them  a  liberal  compensation  for  their 
services.  The  messenger  returned  with  an  answer, 
that  the  governor  had  gone  on  an  excursion -through 
his  dominions,  and  was  not  expected  to  return  in  less 
than  two  or  three  weeks.  We  passed  our  time  in 
shooting  deer,  conies,  parrots,  boobies,  gulls,  &c.  and 
catching  fish,  which  we  found  in  abundance. 

After  we  had  remained  here  four  weeks,  the 
governor  arrived,  accompanied  by  forty  or  fifty  In 
dians.  I  provided  a  good  dinner  for  the  governor, 
his  lady  and  officers,  who  were  invited  to  my  table. 
Rum,  gin,  and  Catalonia  wine,  were  served  out  in 
abundance.  The  governor  promised  me  protection 
and  assistance  ;  but  his  business  required  his  return 


VOYAGES.  57 

home  immediately,  but  added  that  he  would  send  me 
relief  the  next  day.  Before  we  had  finished  din 
ner  the  mob  of  Indians  commenced  stealing  our 
tumblers  from  the  table,  likewise  knives,  forks,  some 
empty  kegs,  and  a  fine  pig,  which  we  had  fattened, 
as  well  as  most  of  the  loose  articles  about  our  pre 
mises.  •!  had  made  the  governor  many  presents  for 
his  promised  protection,  and  I  remonstrated  with 
him  against  this  wanton  outrage,  without  obtaining 
any  redress. 

About  sunset  the  Indians  all  left  my  camp,  ex 
cept  four  canoes  of  country  Indians,  who  lived  four 
days  paddle  up  some  of  the  rivers :  and  according  to 
the  pilot's  interpretation,  they  did  not  associate  with 
the  governor's  gang,  who  treated  them  with  con 
tempt.  After  the  governor  and  his  tribe  had  left  us, 
these  Indians  came  to  my  tent,  whom  I  treated  with 
hospitality,  and  they  encamped  near  us  that  night. 
The  next  morning  my  mate  advised  me  to  hire  these 
Indians  to  take  me  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon  in  their 
canoes,  Baking  my  money,  dry  goods,  and  all  my 
valuable  articles  with  me,  and  he  and  the  two  sailors 
would  remain  by  the  wreck  and  take  care  of  the 
heavy  goods  until  I  could  procure  some  vessel  or 
large  craft  to  transport  them  to  that  place.  Fearing 
an  attack  from  the  governor's  party,  I  employed  the 
pilot  to  negotiate  a  bargain  with  these  Indians,  as 
they  could  not  speak  English.  He  soon  made  an 
agreement  by  which  I  was  to  give  two  officers,  cap 
tains  of  towns,  ten  yards  of  check  shirting  cloth 
3* 


58  DUNHAM'S 

each,  and  the  soldiers,  as  he  called  them,  five  yards 
each,  and  five  yards  for  the  hire  of  a  large  canoe. 
The  bargain  being  closed  we  loaded  the  four 
canoes,  together  with  the  pilot's,  with  dry  goods,  cut 
lery,  &c.  In  the  large  canoe  I  put  my  chest,  charts, 
quadrant,  clothing,  nine  hundred  dollars  in  specie,  and 
a  ten  gallon  keg  of  rum,  knowing  it  would  stimulate 
them  to  perform  the  voyage  with  despatch,  by  giving 
them  a  drink  on  arriving  at  certain  places  we  could 
see  ahead.  The  cook  had  boiled  me  a  piece  of  salt 
beef  to  carry  with  me,  and  put  up  two  or  three 
pounds  of  sea-bread.  I  took  a  jug  of  rum  in  addition 
to  the  ten  gallon  keg,  on  board  of  the  canoe  in  which 
I  embarked,  and  put  a  tea-cup  in  my  pocket  to 
serve  as  a  tumbler.  As  soon  as  the  canoes  were 
loaded  I  measured  ten  yards  to  each  of  the  officers, 
according  to  our  contract,  and  then  measured  off  five 
yards  and  gave  it  to  one  of  the  soldiers,  who  threw 
it  on  the  ground,  when  the  Indians  commenced  un 
loading  the  canoes.  I  called  on  the  pilot  for  an  expla 
nation,  and  was  informed  that  the  soldiers  said  they 
had  to  work  as  hard  as  the  officers,  and  would  not 
proceed  with  me  unless  I  gave  them  ten  yards  each. 
I  was  unable  to  avoid  the  extortion,  and  gave  them 
the  same  quantity  I  had  given  the  officers.  In  com 
plaining  to  the  pilot  of  the  treatment  I  had  received 
from  the  Indians,  and  the  crime  they  had  committed 
in  stealing  from  me,  he  replied,  "  Tief  man  can't  go 
and  live  wit  God.  Devil  must  catch  um."  After  I 
had  given  the  check  to  each  of  the  twelve  Indians 


VOYAGE  S.  59 

who  were  to  convey  me  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  one 
of  them  seized  his  and  escaped  to  the  woods,  which 
was  the  last  I  saw  of  him. 

All  things  being  ready,  we  made  sail,  myself  tak 
ing  charge  of  the  large  canoe,  with  orders  for  them 
all  to  keep  close  company,  by  shortening  sail  when 
necessary,  so  that  they  could  assist  one  another  should 
any  accident  happen.  I  now  began  to  reflect  on  my 
forlorn  situation,  having  five  canoes  under  my  con- 
frol,  twelve  Indians,  and  only  one  that  could  speak 
English,  the  naked  ocean  on  one  side,  the  wilderness 
on  the  other,  and  a  passage  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  to  make  before  I  could  find  a  civilized 
habitation.  We  proceeded  about  ten  miles  on  our 
way,  when  we  ran  our  canoes  on  shore  and  drew 
them  up  on  the  beach,  which  was  performed  in  great 
haste  to  prevent  their  filling  with  water  and  wetting 
the  goods,  to  avoid  which,  I  covered  all  the  cargoes 
with  cowhides. 

Having  secured  our  canoes,  the  Indians  took  cut 
lasses  and  djag  a  spring  of  fresh  water,  which  after 
bailing  out  two  or  three  times  appeared  clear,  and 
we  drank  it  with  a  real  good  will  after  we  had  mix 
ed  it  with  rum.  I  had  made  an  agreement  with 
them,  by  interpretation  of  the  pilot,  that  I  would 
treat  them  every  time  I  drank  myself,  and  at  no 
other  time,  which  was  considered  a  fair  bargain. 
They  then  took  my  meat  and  bread,  and  ate  it  all  at 
one  meal ;  after  which  they  made  a  large  fire  on  the 
ground  to  keep  away  tigers,  panthers,  &LC. 


60  DUNHAM'S 

I  landed  two  chests,  one  containing  my  money 
and  clothing,  the  other  my  most  valuable  goods  ;  and 
wrapping  myself  in  an  old  bed  quilt,  which  protect 
ed  me  from  the  mosquitoes,  took  lodging  on  my 
chests,  the  Indians  taking  their  station  near  the  fire. 
The  next  morning  we  had  nothing  to  eat.  About 
nine  o'clock  the  Indians  went  into  the  woods,  prog- 
ging,  as  they  termed  it,  and  after  being  gone  some 
time  returned  with  a  few  small  oysters  and  some 
wild  honey,  which  was  all  the  food  we  got  that  day. 
The  next  morning  we  got  under  weigh  and  pro 
ceeded  a  few  miles,  when  the  wind  rising  created  a 
heavy  sea,  and  we  were  obliged  to  run  our  fleet  on 
shore  and  remain  until  the  following  day. 

In  the  afternoon  the  Indians  unloaded  two  of  the 
small  canoes,  (the  wind  having  ceased  blowing,) 
paddled  out  some  distance  and  caught  a  large  quan 
tity  of  fish.  At  night  they  boiled  three  or  four  pots 
full,  setting  up  until  twelve  o'clock  and  devouring 
all  the  fish  they  had  caught.  I  thought  they  con 
sumed  five  or  six  pounds  each.  The  next  morning 
we  got  und^r  weigh  and  proceeded  on  our  voyage 
until  the  afternoon,  when  the  wind  increasing,  it  was 
found  necessary  to  lighten  my  canoe.  I  made  a 
signal  for  the  pilot  to  come  alongside,  he  immedi 
ately  obeyed,  calling  one  of  the  captains  of  a  town 
to  join :  when,  after  a  short  consultation,  it  was 
agreed  to  take  some  boxes  of  check  shirting  and  the 
ten  gallon  keg  of  rum  out  of  my  canoe  and  put  them 
on  board  of  theirs.  Strict  orders  were  again  given 


VOY  A  GE  S.  61 

to  keep  close  together,  that  assistance  might  be  ren 
dered  to  each  other  if  necessary,  the  sea  running 
high  at  the  time.  The  captain's  and  pilot's  canoes 
soon  out-sailed  the  rest  of  the  fleet.  I  made  signals 
for  them  to  shorten  sail,  which  they  paid  no  attention 
to,  and  at  sun- set  they  were  so  far  ahead  that  we 
could  not  discern  them. 

We  then  landed  with  the  three  canoes,  made  our 
fire  and  brought  my  two  chests  ashore,  as  on  the 
night  previous.  Not  having  had  any  food  that  day 
I  went  a  short  distance  into  the  woods,  where  I  found 
some  old  cocoa-nuts,  of  which  I  made  a  poor  supper. 
Not  having  any  one  to  converse  wTith,  I  laid  down 
on  my  chests  near  the  fire,  my  eight  Indians  near  me. 
They  soon  commenced  a  long  conversation,  and  be 
ing  somewhat  anxious  to  learn  the  subject  of  it,  I 
lay  listening  very  attentively.  Having  a  fire-light  I 
could  see  all  their  movements.  I  heard  one  of  them 
repeat  the  word  "  Buckra"  at  the  same  time  draw 
ing  his  hand  across  his  throat.  I  then  imagined  they 
were  concocting  some  plan  to  kill  me.  In  the  morn 
ing  they  went  into  the  woods,  caught  a  land-tortoise, 
and  laying  him  on  a  large  fire  with  his  back  down, 
kept  him  there  until  he  was  dead,  and  then  cutting 
a  hole  in  his  side,  took  out  his  inwards  and  roasted 
him  in  the  shell,  from  which  we  made  our  breakfast. 

I  had  discovered  that  these  Indians  had  but  little 
strength  of  body,  in  loading  and  unloading  canoes  ; 
in  handling  heavy  chests  and  boxes,  it  always  took 
three  Indians  to  carry  one  end  when  I  could  carry 


62  DUN  HAM'  s 

the  other.  Wishing  to  try  their  strength,  by  signs  I 
introduced  wrestling,  jumping,  &c.  I  found  I  could 
throw  three  of  them  on  the  ground  at  one  time  with 
out  much  trouble.  I  then  took  my  pistols  from  my 
chest,  fired  at  targets,  and  performed  many  other 
exercises  in  order  to  show  them  my  strength  was 
much  greater  than  theirs,  that  they  might  be  cau 
tious  how  they  attacked  me. 

In  the  afternoon  we  got  under  weigh  and  pro 
ceeded  a  few  miles,  when  we  encamped  for  the 
night.  The  next  morning  the  Indians  went  into  the 
swamp  after  some  food,  and  returned  in  a  short  time 
with  a  young  alligator  three  or  four  feet  in  length, 
which  they  had  caught :  having  tied  up  his  mouth 
with  a  bark  rope,  they  dragged  him  along  on  the 
ground  by  it.  They  also  brought  some  alligator's 
eggs,  which  we  boiled.  They  placed  the  middle  of 
the  alligator  on  the  top  of  the  fire,  one  holding  the 
rope  which  secured  his  mouth,  another  his  tail,  (he 
being  yet  alive,)  and  burned  him  to  death  ;  after 
which  they  cut  him  to  pieces  and  boiled  his  flesh  in 
the  pot,  from  which  we  made  our  breakfast.  I  ate 
some  of  the  eggs,  which  I  found  very  tough.  Our  jug 
of  rum  had  been  exhausted  two  or  three  days,  and 
the  Indians  had  lost  all  their  ambition.  I  tried  to 
make  them  understand,  by  signs,  that  when  we  ar 
rived  at  Great  River  we  should  find  our  comrades 
who  had  left  us  in  the  two  canoes,  and  get  rum  and 
provisions  for  the  remainder  of  our  voyage.  Soon 
after,  they  showed  me  a  point  of  land  some  distance 


VOYAGES.  63 

ahead,  and  repeated  the  words,  "Great  River."  I 
took  a  paddle  in  my  hand  and  assisted  them,  at  the 
same  time  making  signs,  by  lifting  the  jug  to  my 
mouth,  giving  them  to  understand  that  they  should 
have  plenty  of  rum  when  we  arrived  there.  When 
we  were  within  two  miles  of  the  mouth  of  the  river 
the  Indians  suddenly  ran  the  canoes  on  shore,  hauled 
them  up  on  the  land,  unloaded  all  my  goods  and  ran 
toward  the  woods,  leaving  me  alone  on  the  beach. 
I  felt  much  surprised  at  being  left  in  this  sudden 
manner,  half  starved  with  hunger,  and  my  strength 
exhausted  for  want  of  sleep.  After  piling  up  all  my 
goods  in  the  best  manner  I  could,  I  re-loaded  my 
pistols  and  prepared  to  defend  myself.  Hunger  now 
prompted  me  to  look  for  something  to  eat.  I  saw  a 
large  green  turtle,  some  four  feet  in  length,  laying 
upon  his  back  a  few  rods  from  my  goods.  I  then 
walked  in  a  different  direction  from  the  turtle,  in 
pursuit  of  something  to  allay  my  hunger.  Suddenly 
1  discovered  a  large,  strange  Indian  approaching  to 
ward  me,  having  two  small  ropes  in  his  hand,  with 
eyes  spliced  in  the  ends,  which  he  was  slipping  back 
ward  and  forward  as  he  approached  near  me.  I 
slowly  retreated  some  distance,  casting  my  eyes 
over  my  shoulder,  looking  for  some  weapon  to  de 
fend  myself,  when  I  discovered  a  stick  of  wood 
about  the  size  of  a  man's  wrist,  which  I  quickly 
secured.  He,  advancing,  asked  if  I  was  captain 
of  the  American  vessel  that  was  cast  away  on 
the  coast  a  few  weeks  since,  and  if  I  was  hungry. 


64  DUNHAM'S 

I  told  him  yes :  he  still  approached  me  during  this 
conversation ;  upon  which  I  raised  my  club  and  told 
him  if  he  came  any  nearer  to  me  I  would  kill  him. 
He  said  if  I  would  go  with  him  to  Admiral  Drum 
mer's  house,  which  was  but  a  short  distance,  I  could 
get  plenty  to  eat.  I  informed  him  that  the  Indians  I 
had  hired  to  carry  my  goods  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon, 
had  thrown  them  on  shore  here,  left  me,  and  that  I 
dare  not  leave  my  goods  unprotected  on  the  beach. 
He  said  he  would  tell  the  Admiral  of  my  situation, 
and  informed  me  that  two  days  ago  two  canoes, 
having  some  of  my  goods  on  board,  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  that  one  of  them  had  upset  in 
passing  the  bar  and  lost  one  keg  of  rum  and  one  box 
of  dry  goods,  which  had  sunk,  and  that  they  had  been 
fishing  for  them  but  could  not  find  them.  He  then 
took  his  leave,  and  going  to  the  turtle  put  the  ends 
of  his  rope  on  his  flippers,  placed  the  middle  across 
his  breast  and  dragged  him  off. 

Admiral  Drummer  hearing  of  my  arrival  here, 
sent  an  Indian  slave  with  a  gold  headed  cane,  which 
he  considered  as  a  badge  of  his  office,  inviting  me  to 
his  house  to  take  some  breakfast.  I  returned  my 
reasons  for  not  accepting  his  invitation,  by  saying  "  I 
dare  not  leave  my  goods  unprotected."  Soon  after 
the  admiral  brought  me  some  warm  cocoa,  smoked 
meat  and  roasted  plantains  to  eat.  My  appetite 
being  good  I  made  a  hearty  dinner.  After  some 
time  my  Indians  returned  from  the  woods  with  some 
coarse  food  they  had  gathered  in  the  swamps.  I  told 


VOYAGES.  65 

the  admiral  I  had  paid  these  Indians  in  advance  to 
transport  my  goods  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  that  they 
had  broken  their  contract,  and  that  they  appeared 
determined  to  leave  me  here.  After  conversing 
with  them  some  time,  he  told  me  they  said  they  were 
half  starved,  had  not  any  provisions  to  .  proceed 
with,  and  would  not  go  any  farther.  He  also  said 
they  were  mountain  Indians,  living  in  the  interior  of 
the  country,  and  were  not  under  his  control,  but 
ordered  them  to  put  the  goods  into  their  canoes 
and  carry  me  into  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  I 
would  find  the  two  boats  ^vhich  had  left  me  some 
days  before. 

In  the  afternoon  I  was  visited  by  the  admiral,  his 
two  wives,  and  a  number  of  his  tribe.  I  made  him 
and  his  wives  many  presents,  and  he  promised  to 
meet  me  the  next  day  at  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
when  he  would  furnish  me  with  men  and  canoes  to 
carry  me  to  the  Lagoon.  He  left  me  soon  after  to 
return  to  his  home.  We  proceeded  with  our  three 
canoes  into  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  I  found  the 
other  two,  one  of  them  belonging  to  the  pilot,  who 
told  me  that,  in  crossing  the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  the  captain's  canoe  had  turned  over  and  lost 
one  box  of  check  cloth,  the  ten  gallon  keg  of  rum,  and 
they  had  both  sunk,  that  they  had  fished  for  them  a 
long  time,  but  could  not  find  them ;  also,  that  the 
captain  had  lost  his  dinner-pot  by  upsetting  hia 
canoe,  and  I  must  pay  him  for  it,  because  he  was  at 
work  for  me.  Another  Indian  had  wrapped  himself 


66  DUNHAM'S 

in  his  canoe-sail,  and  had  laid  so  near  the  fire  he 
had  burnt  a  hole  in  it,  and  I  must  pay  for  it  because 
he  was  in  my  employ. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  in  the  mouth  of  the  river 
the  pilot  told  me  he  would  go  to  the  admiral's  house 
and  procure  me  some  provisions  ;  he  left,  followed 
by  the  whole  gang,  except  one  sick  Indian  who  re 
mained  with  me,  with  whom  I  could  not  converse 
except  by  signs.  Knowing  that  a  keg  of  rum  would 
not  sink  in  the  water,  I  thought  it  best  to  search  the 
shore  and  see  what  discoveries  I  could  make.  After 
walking  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile  I  discovered  a 
cow-hide  secreted  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  which 
drew  my  attention  to  it.  By  removing  the  hide  I 
discovered  the  box  of  dry  goods  and  the  dinner-pot 
for  which  he  had  demanded  payment.  I  walked 
back  to  our  landing  place,  took  one  of  the  canoes 
and  carried  the  box,  pot,  &c.  to  my  camp,  where 
I  opened  the  box  and  found  some  of  the  check 
a  little  wet,  but  not  from  the  upsetting  of  the  canoe. 
I  searched  the  beach  for  some  time,  but  could  not 
find  any  traces  of  the  rum-keg.  Having  no  com 
panion  left  with  me  except  my  sick  Indian,  and  no 
food  to  eat,  I  was  obliged  to  pick  up  old  cocoa-nuts 
or  any  other  articles  I  could  swallow  to  satisfy  my 
craving  appetite. 

On  the  evening  of  the  third  day  after  my  arrival 
here  my  Indians  returned  much  intoxicated,  without 
the  pilot.  They  picked  up  their  baggage  and  pre 
pared  for  their  departure  ;  then  laid  themselves  down 


VOYAGES.  67 

near  the  fire,  and  soon  fell  asleep.  I  piled  up  my 
goods  as  compactly  as  I  could,  loaded  my  pistols 
and  laid  myself  down  on  the  top  of  them,  supposing 
they  would  attempt  to  rob  me,  and  escape  with  their 
plunder.  I  did  not  shut  my  eyes  until  about  four 
o'clock  and  then  fell  asleep,  which  continued  about 
half-an-hour,  when  I  awoke  and  found  they  were 
taking  their  departure.  I  took  a  hasty  look  at  my 
goods  and  found  they  had  only  taken  from  me  one 
empty  jug  and  a  few  small  articles  of  little  value. 

A  few  hours  after,  the  pilot,  accompanied  by  Ad 
miral  Drummer,  his  two  wives,  and  thirty  or  forty 
Indians  arrived,  bringing  me  some  provisions,  which 
I  ate  greedily.  After  making  the  admiral  and  his 
wives  many  presents,  I  asked  his  price  to  carry  me 
and  my  goods  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon.  He  told  me  I 
must  pay  him  the  same  price  I  had  paid  the  Indians 
who  had  left  me  here— r-ten  yards  of  check  cloth  to 
each  man,  and  ten  additional  yards  for  the  hire  of  a 
large  canoe  belonging  to  himself.  The  bargain  being 
closed,  the  admiral  and  his  party  all  left  me,  except 
those  I  had  employed  to  carry  me  to  the  Lagoon. 

After  the  pilot  had  returned  from  the  admiral's  I 
asked  him  the  cause  of  their  tarrying  so  long,  know 
ing  my  destitute  situation.  He  said  they  had  been 
to  a  drink- about  of  pine-liquor — a  custom  I  did  not 
then  understand.  During  my  residence  at  the  La 
goon  I  have  been  an  invited  guest  to  drink-abouts. 
Pine-apples  are  raised  in  abundance  in  this  country, 
which  the  inhabitants  of  a  number  of  settlements 


68  DUNHAM'S 

from  time  to  time  collect  in  large  quantities,  and 
assemble  at  some  central  place,  where  they  convert 
them  into  a  kind  of  pulp  and  then  press  out  the 
juice,  put  it  into  some  old  cask  and  let  it  remain  a 
few  days,  when  it  becomes  the  most  palatable  liquor 
I  ever  drank,  and  produces  intoxication  when  taken 
in  large  quantities. 

Some  months  after,  I  learned  the  deception  these 
Indians  had  practised  upon  me.  The  pilot  and  his 
comrades,  who  had  ran  away  from  me  with  the  keg 
of  rum  and  box  of  dry  goods,  arrived  at  Great  River 
two  days  before  me.  They  poured  some  water  on 
the  box  of  dry  goods,  and  then  carried  the  keg  of 
rum  to  the  admiral's  house.  After  our  arrival  at 
Great  River  they  left  me  on  the  beach,  half  starved, 
as  stated  above,  and  returned  to  the  admiral's,  where 
they  remained  drunk  about  three  days. 

The  contract  being  finished,  we  loaded  the  canoes 
and  I  paid  the  men  in  advance,  according  to  the  cus 
tom  of  the  country.  I  urged  them  to  launch  the 
canoes  and  proceed  on  our  voyage  immediately, 
which  they  refused  to  do,  saying  that  night  would 
overtake  us  before  we  could  arrive  at  the  Lagoon. 
They  said  they  would  sail  the  next  morning  at  day 
light,  and  then  laid  themselves  down  near  the  fire 
for  the  night.  I  wrapped  myself  up  in  the  old  bed- 
quilt  and  took  lodging  on  my  chests  as  usual,  the 
mosquitoes  so  thick  about  us  that  we  could  not  see 
any  thing  at  a  distance  ;  they  annoyed  the  Indians  so 
much  that  they  lost  all  patience.  At  eleven  o'clock 


VOYAGES.  69 

they  launched  their  canoes  and  we  proceeded  on  our 
voyage.    Before  we  took  our  departure  I  had  given 
them  orders  to  keep  the  canoes  near  together  for 
mutual  safety.    After  we  had  gone  a  short  distance, 
I  discovered  by  the  stars  that  the  captain  of  my 
canoe  had  lost  his  course,  and  was  running  from  the 
land  into  the  ocean.    I  remonstrated  with  him  by 
making  signs.    About  two  o'clock  I  made  out  to  con 
vince  him  of  his  error,  when  he  steered  towards  the 
land,  which  brought  us  into  the  trough  of  the  sea, 
and  I  was    compelled   to    bail   water   without  in 
termission  until   day-light,  when  I  found  we  were 
within  three  miles  of  the  land,  but  could  not  discover 
any  canoes  in  sight  of  us.    We  steered  our  boat  in 
near  the  land  where  the  water  was  not  so  rough, 
and  kept  in  close  to  the  shore.  When  we  came  to  the 
mouth  of  Pearl  Key  Lagoon  we  saw  smoke  a  short 
distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  going  to 
the  place  from  which  it  proceeded  found  our  com 
rades  cooking  some  fish,  they  had  caught,  for  break 
fast.  We  joined  with  them  and  took  a  scanty  meal. 
Soon  after,  we  all  got  under  weigh  and  proceeded 
about  three  miles,  when  we  arrived  at  the  village  of 
Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  to  my  great  joy,  after  a  passage 
of  ten  days.    I  was  so  thoroughly  exhausted  that  I 
could  not  walk  from  the  canoe  to  the  house  without 
assistance. 


70  DUNHAM'S 


CHAPTER    V. 

Pearl  Key  Lagoon  lies  in  latitude  12°  10r  N.,  Ion- 
gitude  82°  54'  W.  The  village  is  situated  about  four 
miles  from  the  entrance  of  the  Lagoon,  or  Lake,  into 
the  sea.  The  village  contains  thirteen  houses  ;  the 
inhabitants  generally  speak  English,  and  are  more 
civilized  and  hospitable  than  the  neighboring  tribes. 
This  place  is  the  centre  of  trade  for  the  whole  coast, 
and  is  often  visited  by  English  traders. 

I  was  hospitably  received  by  Edward  Patterson, 
a  native  of  Curracoa,  who  had  resided  here  many 
years.  He  had  three  wives  living  with  him,  all  en 
joying  peace  and  good  will  towards  each  other. 
Patterson  gave  me  a  hearty  welcome  to  his  house, 
and  provided  me  a  room  in  it  to  retail  my  goods. 
He  furnished  his  table  with  the  best  food  the  coun 
try  produced,  cleanly  cooked  in  English  style.  Two 
days  after  my  arrival  here  my  mate  and  the  two 
seamen  arrived  from  the  wreck  of  the  sloop.  They 
informed  me  that  a  large  number  of  Indians  had  en 
camped  near  the  wreck  and  commenced  plundering 
the  vessel,  and  they  considered  it  unsafe  to  remain 
there  any  longer.  They  repaired  the  sloop's  boat, 
put  their  clothing  and  some  light  goods  on  board, 
and  after  a  few  days'  hard  rowing  reached  this  place, 
with  health  and  strength  much  exhausted.  Two  or 
three  days  after  a  small  English  schooner  arrived 


VOYAGES.  71 

here,  and  I  gave  the  captain  two  hundred  dollars  to 
carry  me  to  the  wreck  and  bring  back  all  the  goods 
we  could  save  from  it.  We  sailed  the  next  day,  and 
arrived  there  two  days  after.  We  found  the  shore 
white  with  cotton,  the  Indians  having  cut  open  the 
bales  and  carried  away  the  sacks,  leaving  the  cotton 
loose  on  the  beach,  which  the  winds  had  scattered 
all  along  the  shore  for  a  great  distance.  They  had 
emptied  two  pipes  of  Catalonia  wine  on  the  ground 
and  carried  away  the  casks  ;  also  emptied  some 
cases  of  Holland  gin  and  filled  the  bottles  with  rum, 
cut  many  holes  in  the  vessel  to  get  out  the  iron,  and 
committed  many  other  depredations.  On  inquiry  I 
found  that  most  of  the  goods  had  been  carried  to 
Governor  Clemente's  house,  about  thirty  miles  up 
the  Waa-waa  river.  We  employed  some  Indians  to 
carry  us  in  their  canoes  to  the  governor's  residence, 
there  being  no  roads  for  travelling  by  land  in  the 
country.  When  we  arrived  at  his  excellency's  dwel 
ling  we  found  a  collection  of  forty  or  fifty  Indians  as 
sembled  there,  raving  with  intoxication  ;  a  hogshead 
of  rum  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  house,  with  the 
bung  taken  out  and  the  Indians  filling  their  calabashes 
by  pouring  it  out  of  the  bung-hole,  wasting  one-half  in 
pouring  it  out.  The  governor's  invitation  to  spend 
the  night  with  him  was  readily  accepted.  He 
promised  me  he  wrould  restore  all  my  goods  that 
could  be  found  about  his  premises.  The  next  day  I 
found  one  pipe  of  gin  and  one  hogshead  of  rum  un 
opened,  which  he  consented  to  restore  to  me.  Here 


72  DUNHAM'S 

a  difficulty  arose :  the  distance  from  his  house  to  the 
landing  place  at  the  river  was  about  one  and  a  half 
miles,  and  no  way  of  conveyance  except  rolling  the 
casks.  I  requested  the  governor  to  furnish  me  men, 
and  I  would  pay  them  liberally  for  their  services  in 
conveying  the  goods  to  the  landing  place.  He  said  he 
could  not  compel  them  to  assist  me.  My  mate  and 
two  men  I  had  brought  with  me  succeeded  in  rolling 
the  casks  to  the  shore  after  a  tedious  job  of  one 
and  a  half  days.  I  found  sixteen  barrels  of  salt  be 
longing  to  me  about  the  premises,  which  we  under 
took  to  roll  to  the  landing,  but  the  governor  pursued 
us  \vith  his  axe  and  broke  the  staves  of  the  casks, 
when  we  abandoned  them.  I  then  picked  up  all  the 
remaining  goods  I  could  find  belonging  to  me,  sent 
them  on  board  the  canoes,  and  putting  my  mate  and 
seamen  on  board  as  sentries  for  the  night,  took  lodg 
ings  at  the  governor's  house.  In  the  morning  my 
attention  was  drawn  towards  the  governor's  nine 
wives,  who  were  seated  round  a  fire  outside  of  the 
house,  eating  their  breakfast  in  perfect  harmony. 
From  appearance  their  ages  were  from  sixteen  to 
sixty  years.  I  afterwards  learned  that  eight  of  the 
Indians  had  died  from  the  effects  of  the  liquor  which 
they  had  stolen  from  the  wreck. 

The  governor  and  his  gang  had  destroyed  and 
robbed  me  of  about  eighteen  hundred  dollars'  worth 
of  property,  for  which  I  could  not  obtain  any  redress. 
We  embarked  in  our  canoes  and  proceeded  to  the 
schooner,  where  we  took  the  goods  on  board,  and  the 


VOYAGES.  73 

next  day  landed  them  at  the  Lagoon.  My  property 
being  all  collected  together,  I  fitted  up  my  store  and 
received  calls  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  having 
that  load-stone  Rum  to  attract  them. 

Among  the  visiters  who  came  to  console  me  in 
my  unfortunate  situation,  was  a  Sookerman,  named 
Hewlett,  who  brought  me  a  present  of  two  pine 
apples,  for  which  I  offered  him  twelve  and  a  half 
cents  in  payment,  he  refused  it,  saying,  "I  was  a 
poor,  cast- away  thing,  and  all  Indians  must  help  me." 
1  placed  a  bottle  of  gin  upon  the  table  and  invited 
him  and  his  comrade  to  drink,  which  they  readily 
accepted,  remaining  with  me  until  near  night,  when 
they  had  emptied  the  bottle  ;  then  taking  an  empty 
bottle  from  his  pocket,  he  had  the  modesty  to  ask 
me  to  fill  it  for  him  to  carry  home.  I  was  selling 
gin  at  this  time  for  fifty  cents  per  bottle.  Pine-apples 
are  considered  of  little  value  in  this  country,  being 
worth  from  one  to  two  cents  apiece. 

A  Sookerman  practices  as  a  physician  in  sick 
ness,  but  always  abandons  his  patient  before  the 
approach  of  death  ;  he  tells  fortunes,  can  discover 
thieves,  and  when  the  hurricane  months  are  near 
approaching,  he  resorts  to  some  hill  with  his  cutlass 
in  his  hand,  which  he  waves  in  the  air  to  prevent 
the  gales  from  destroying  their  crops  of  vegetables. 
He  collects  an  annual  tax  from  all  the  inhabitants 
of  his  district,  for  his  services  in  cutting  the  breeze 
as  they  call  it.  If  they  refuse  to  pay  his  tax  the  laws 
of  the  country  allow  him  to  seize  upon  any  property 


74  DUNHAM'S 

he  can  find,  not  excepting  a  man's  dinner-pot.  If  a 
gale  of  wind  happens  to  sweep  over  the  country  and 
destroy  their  crops,  he  screens  himself  by  saying, 
"  Some  rascals  have  neglected  the  payment  of  their 
tithes."  He  cannot  see  a  woman  in  child-bed,  or  the 
woman  or  child  under  nine  months  after  the  birth  of 
it.  He  is  prohibited  from  seeing  any  dead  corpse,  as 
he  imagines  the  sight  of  either  of  these  would  cause 
his  immediate  death.  The  Sookerman  makes  all  his 
journies  in  canoes,  accompanied  by  some  of  his 
friends.  When  they  approach  any  village,  he  lays 
down  in  the  bottom  of  his  canoe,  and  a  sail  is  co 
vered  over  him  to  protect  his  eyes,  while  some  of  his 
comrades  visit  the  houses  of  the  villagers  to  ascer 
tain  whether  there  are  any  of  those  dread  sights  in 
their  houses.  When  his  wife  shows  signs  of  preg 
nancy  she  retires  to  a  house  built  in  the  woods, 
where  she  must  remain  nine  months  after  her  ac- 
couchment,  before  she  can  return  to  her  husband. 

My  landlord,  Patterson,  informed  me  that  he 
knew  a  Sookerman  who  landed  at  a  village  in  a 
canoe,  without  sending  a  messenger  before  him  to 
discover  the  object  of  his  danger ;  it  being  stormy 
weather  he  landed  in  great  haste  and  ran  to  the 
nearest  house  for  a  shelter,  and  opening  the  door 
quickly,  the  first  object  he  saw  was  a  woman  hold 
ing  a  child  in  her  arms.  The  shock  was  so  great 
that  he  fell  down  on  the  threshhold  of  the  door  and 
died  the  third  day  after. 

Two  miles  from  the  village  where  I  had  located 


VOYAGES.  75 

myself  was  another  settlement  called  Bigman  Bank, 
a  village  of  some  renown,  being  the  residence  of 
General  Bigman  and  Admiral  Walkin.  Soon  after 
I  had  my  store  arranged  to  receive  company  I 
was  visited  by  a  number  of  young  ladies  from  Big- 
man's  Bank  who  were  considered  the  belles  of  the 
village.  The  Indians  residing  in  villages  on  the  sea- 
coast  imagine  themselves  far  superior  to  the  inland 
tribes.  "They  form  the  same  opinion  that  a  fopish 
city  dandy  does  of  a  country  farmer,  supposing  him 
to  be  destitute  of  common  sense  because  he  does 
not  put  all  his  earnings  on  his  back  and  cheat 
the  tailor  and  shoemaker  out  of  more. 

After  the  young  ladies  were  all  seated  in  the 
house,  my  friend  Patterson  introduced  me  to  them, 
and  requested  me  to  fill  some  glasses  with  gin  and 
pass  them  round,  saying,  "  They  had  never  drank  any 
gin  before,  and  did  not  know  the  strength  of  it,  that 
we  should  soon  see  sport."  After  remaining  some 
time  and  drinking  freely,  they  attempted  to  depart, 
when  one  of  them,  named  Betsey  Young,  a  girl  pos 
sessing  a  pleasant  and  beautiful  countenance  found 
herself  unable  to  walk,  and  her  comrades  took  her 
on  their  backs  and  departed  apparently  much  mor 
tified  as  I  was  myself.  After  they  returned  to  their 
homes  Betsey's  mother  gave  her  a  severe  reprimand 
for  her  intoxication.  The  next  morning  she  bent  the 
top  of  a  small  tree  to  the  ground,  tied  a  handkerchief 
to  it  and  putting  one  end  round  her  neck  let  the  tree 
straighten  up,  which  hung  her  in  the  air.  Soon  after 


76  DUNHAM'S 

her  mother  discovering  her  unfortunate  situation  cut 
her  down  and  restored  her  to  life.  A  few  months 
after  she  became  one  of  the  king's  wives. 

I  was  visited  by  a  respectable  Frenchman,  named 
Ellis,  residing  thirty  miles  up  a  river  called  Waa- 
waa-han,  which  empties  into  the  Lagoon  a  few  miles 
from  this  place.  The  Musquito  king  had  given  him 
a  tract  of  land  seven  miles  in  length,  bounded  on  the 
river,  a  well  cultivated  plantation,  producing  coffee, 
sugar-cane,  corn,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  all  kinds  of 
tropical  fruits,  and  bread-stuffs  in  abundance.  He 
owned  twenty  or  thirty  slaves,  and  cultivated  a  good 
garden.  He  informed  me  that  he  had  fought  for  my 
country  in  the  Revolution,  under  Count  de  Grass. 
His  nearest  neighbor,  named  Gough,  resided  twelve 
miles  from  him,  who  had  a  grant  of  land  extending 
twelve  miles  along  the  river,  and  owned  a  few 
slaves,  but  paid  little  attention  to  cultivation.  I 
found  Mr.  Ellis  a  very  honest  man,  and  a  true  friend 
to  me.  He  kept  a  mulatto  woman  as  his  wife,  whose 
name  was  Fanny.  He  sent  many  orders  to  me  to 
bring  out  such  articles  as  he  wanted.  He  told  me 
that  one  evening  he  was  making  out  an  order  for 
goods  and  asked  his  wife  if  she  wanted  any  thing 
added  to  the  order.  She  answered  by  saying,  "  Tell 
Captain  Dunham  to  fetch  me  out  one  man-goose 
and  one  woman-goose."  Mr.  Ellis  often  sent  me  gar 
den  vegetable^,  cucumbers,  water-mellons,  tropical 
fruits, 


77 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Among  my  new  neighbors  I  found  eight  run 
away  negi-o  slaves  who  had  deserted  from  the  Island 
of  St.  Andreas,  in  canoes,  a  distance  of  about  two 
degrees,  and  took  refuge  here.  To  make  the  reader 
understand  the  tragic  scenes  that  follow,  I  shall  de 
scribe  them  by  giving  the  names  of  the  tribes  they 
belonged  to  in  their  native  country.  Two  of  them 
being  called  Jim,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  attach  to  the 
name  of  each  that  of  the  tribe  to  which  he  belonged, 
to  distinguish  the  parties. 

The  English  traders  from  Jamaica,  who  have 
monopolized  the  trade  of  this  country,  frequently 
visit  this  place,  stopping  at  St.  Andreas  and  Corn 
Island  on  their  passage.  They  are  often  commis 
sioned  to  apprehend  runaway  slaves,  return  them  to 
their  masters,  and  receive  their  rewards.  These 
negroes  were  well  apprised  of  this  custom,  and  took 
great  precaution  to  arm  and  defend  themselves  if 
they  were  attacked.  On  the  arrival  of  any  English 
vessel  in  the  harbor,  they  retreated  to  the  woods  and 
remained  until  the  vessel  left  the  port  before  they 
made  their  appearance  among  us  again,  when  they 
returned  to  the  house  which  they  occupied  when  I 
first  landed  in  the  place,  situated  about  fifty  rods 
from  my  store.  When  they  went  upon  any  excursion 


78  DUNHAM'S 

they  were  each  armed  with  a  loaded  musket  and 
plenty  of  ammunition,  determined  never  to  be  taken 
prisoners  alive.  In  addition  to  their  armament,  they 
purchased  from  me  five  cutlasses,  which  they  ground 
very  sharp  and  carried  with  them  daily.  Scotland  and 
Jim  belonged  to  the  Ebo  tribe  in  Africa,  their  native 
country.  Moody  and  the  other  Jim  to  the  Mandingo 
tribe  in  the  same  country  ;  another  negro,  named 
Prince,  was  a  native  of  Jamaica.  Scotland  had  a 
daughter  with  him,  Moody  and  Mandingo  Jim,  both 
had  their  wives  with  them.  There  always  appeared 
a  national  antipathy  existing  between  the  Ebo  and 
Mandingo  negroes,  which  caused  many  disputes  be 
tween  them.  Prince  always  tried  to  remain  neutral 
between  the  parties,  often  acting  as  umpire  in  the 
settlement  of  their  difficulties.  On  the  arrival  of  any 
vessel,  or  any  dangerous  report,  they  compromised 
all  their  private  quarrels  and  united  for  the  common 
defence. 

The  negroes  soon  discovered  that  I  had  no  means 
to  annoy  them,  and  that  the 'English  traders  were 
very  jealous  of  me  as  a  trespasser  on  their  exclusive 
right  to  trade  here,  I  being  the  first  American  who 
had  attempted  to  open  a  trade  with  the  Indians 
within  the  last  fourteen  years.  These  negroes  soon 
commenced  trading  with  me,  having  fifty  or  sixty 
dollars  in  money,  and  earnestly  solicited  my  friendly 
aid,  by  informing  them  of  any  plot  I  should  discover 
from  the  English  traders,  or  the  Mosquito  king's 
officers  to  apprehend  them,  promising  on  their  part 


VOYAGES.  79 

to  sell  me  all  the  tortoise-shell  they  could  catch,  and 
purchase  all  their  goods  from  me.  I  readily  ratified 
the  treaty  for  my  own  safety.  To  use  an  old  adage, 
"  Those  who  live  in  glass  houses  must  never  throw 
stones." 

My  goods  were  poorly  protected  against  robbers, 
my  store  being  covered  on  the  outside  with  thin  slips 
of  wood,  resembling  lath  wove  together  like  a  bas 
ket  and  admitting  light  through  the  spaces  sufficient 
to  read  or  write  without  windows.  A  man  could 
kick  a  hole  through  it  in  two  minutes. 

Soon  after  I  purchased  a  mahogany  canoe,  made 
a  sail  to  fit  her,  and  took  a  number  of  excursions  to 
the  neighboring  villages,  purchasing  shell,  gum,  &c. 
It  frequently  happened  that  I  did  not  see  a  white 
man  in  two  or  three  weeks.  The  negroes  often  got 
alarmed  by  hearing  false  reports  about  their  appre 
hension,  and  finding  that  I  sometimes  did  not  reach 
home  until  after  dark,  they  came  to  my  store  and 
requested  me  to  wear  a  white  chip  hat  when  I  went 
on  any  excursion,  or  appeared  out  after  dark,  that 
they  might  know  me,  as  they  had  agreed  to  shoot 
any  strange  white  man  who  should  approach  them 
in  the  night.  I  complied  with  their  request  for  my 
own  safety.  I  have  frequently  called  at  their  house 
in  the  night  to  procure  a  light,  always  calling  them 
by  name  before  I  approached  their  door,  and  always 
found  them  laying  on  their  arms,  ready  to  repel  any 
attack. 

Some  weeks  after,  my  landlord  purchased  from 


80  DUNHAM'S 

me  a  quantity  of  goods,  and  I  advanced  him  about 
six  hundred  dollars  in  cash,  which  he  agreed  to  pay 
me  in  tortoise-shell,  at  two  dollars  per  pound,  it  be 
ing  worth  at  that  time  seven  dollars  in  New- York. 
He  embarked  in  a  large  canoe  on  a  trading  voyage* 
along  the  southern  coast  of  that  country,  a  distance 
of  about  two  degrees.  Most  of  the  able-bodied  men 
of  this  and  the  neighboring  villages  fitted  themselves 
out  for  a  three  months'  voyage  to  the  southward,  to 
catch  turtle.  After  they  had  all  embarked  I  found 
there  was  no  male  inhabitant  left  except  myself,  my 
five  negroes,  two  or  three  old  infirm  Indians,  and  a 
whole  village  of  women  and  children.  The  negroes 
gave  me  the  title  of  governor,  and  agreed  to  submit 
to  such  laws  as  I  should  prescribe  for  them.  One  of 
the  laws  I  passed  was  to  sell  them  only  one  bottle  of 
rum  per  day,  which  they  agreed  to,  and  behaved 
themselves  well  for  two  or  three  weeks,  caught  some 
shell,  and  sold  it  to  me.  Ebo  Jim  I  found  to  be  a 
good  marksman  with  a  gun,  and  I  furnished  him 
often  with  powder  and  shot,  with  which  he  killed  a 
great  many  wild  parrots  for  me  to  eat,  from  which  I 
had  a  number  of  good  meals. 

After  a  few  weeks  the  negroes  imagining  there 
was  a  plot  laid  to  entrap  them,  agreed  to  retire  to  a 
house  they  had  found  in  the  woods,  where  they 
thought  themselves  secure,  and  live  in  peace  togeth 
er.  Scotland,  Moody  and  the  two  Jims,  took  their 
leave  of  me  and  departed.  Prince,  the  neutral  ne 
gro,  remained  in  the  village.  He  was  a  coarse  car- 


VOYAGES.  81 

penter,  and  made  some  tables  and  sundry  little  arti 
cles  for  the  Indians,  and  had  many  friends  among 
them.    Scotland  and  his  party  visited  me  two  or 
three  times  after  they  had  gone  to  their  new  habita 
tion,  and  were  supplied  with  their  one  bottle  of  rum 
per  day,  according  to  agreement,  when  they  would 
depart  peaceably  to  their  new  home.    The  fourth 
time  they  visited  me  they  asked  me  for  their  bottle 
of  rum,  as  usual,  which  was  furnished  them.    They 
then  left  for  a  short  time  and  returned  with  a  request 
that  I  would  fill  the  bottle  again  for  them,  which  I 
refused  to  do,  by  telling  them  it  was  a  breach  of 
our  agreement ;  but  on  their  promising  me  faithfully 
if  I  would  let  them  have  another  bottle  they  would 
not  broach  it  until  they  got  home,  I  filled  it ;  they 
left,  and  as  I  supposed,  had  gone  home.    About  one 
hour  after,  a  number  of  women  and  children  appear 
ed  at  my  door,  where  I  had  laid  myself  down  in  my 
hammock,  reading,  and  making  a  most  hideous  noise, 
called  on  me  to  come  out,  as  Scotland  was  killing 
Mood^.    I  ran  as  fast  as  I  could  until  I  came  near  to 
the  combatants,  when  I  saw  Scotland  thrust  his  cut 
lass  into  the  thick  part  of  Moody's  thigh,  near  the 
bone,  the  point  running  at  least  one  foot'  through. 
Moody  being  vanquished,  Mandingo  Jim,  his  com 
rade,  then  rushed  forward  with  cutlass  in  hand  and 
struck  at  Scotland's  head,  who  dodged  the  blow,  at 
the  same  time  returning  a  blow  with  his  cutlass 
which  struck  Jim  near  the  wrist,  severing  his  hand 
from  his  arm,  leaving  it  hanging  by  a  small  string  of 

4* 


82  DUNHAM'S 

skin  and  flesh.  Ebo  Jim  then  ran  into  the  battle  with 
his  gun  cocked  to  shoot  down  his  conquered  adversa 
ries,  when  I  interfered,  and  by  threats  and  persuasion 
prevented  any  further  effusion  of  blood.  The  battle 
being  ended,  I  proposed  to  cut  off  the  wounded  hand, 
but  my  opinion  was  overruled  by  the  company,  who 
decided,  to  use  their  own  language,  that  "  The  hand 
could  be  mended  up  again."  My  landlord's  oldest 
wife,  whose  name  was  Sally,  and  who  was  consi 
dered  a  great  doctress  among  the  inhabitants  of  this 
region  of  country,  procured  some  splinters  of  wood, 
dressed  the  wound  with  wild  honey  and  bound  it  up, 
Sally  acting  as  head  surgeon  among  the  company. 
I  furnished  them  with  candles,  which  they  made 
great  use  of  as  salve  to  dress  the  wounds.  On  the 
third  morning  after,  Sally  came  to  my  store  and  told 
me  that  Jim's  hand  was  all  spoiled,  that  she  had 
ground  up  her  butcher  knife  to  cut  it  off.  She  re 
paired  to  the  room  and  requested  Jim's  wife  to  open 
the  wound  that  she  might  dress  it,  which  she  com 
plied  ^with.  Sally  instantly  drew  her  knife,  which 
was  concealed  behind  her,  and  cut  the  hand  off,  to 
the  great  surprise  of  all  the  spectators.  She  con 
tinued  the  application  of  honey  and  tallow  for  three 
or  four  weeks,  when  Jim  so  far  recovered  as  to  be 
able  to  shoot  parrots  for  me  again.  After  the  battle, 
Scotland  and  Ebo  Jim  retired  to  their  habitation  in 
the  woods,  and  in  the  course  of  three  or  four  weeks 
Moody  and  Mandingo  Jim  removed  to  Bigman's 
Bank,  about  two  miles  from  this  place. 


b 

i 


•§- 


I 

8 


VOYAGES.  83 

A  few  weeks  after,  Moody  and  his  partner  Jim 
came  to  my  store  on  some  errant.  My  provisions 
getting  short,  I  agreed  to  accompany  them  home  to 
Bigman's  Bank  and  procure  a  fresh  supply  of  such 
articles  as  I  stood  in  need  of.  I  got  on  board  of  their 
canoe,  which  had  but  two  seats,  and  placed  my 
self  by  the  side  of  Moody,  who  commenced  a  long 
negro  story  which  absorbed  our  attention.  On  the 
way  I  discovered  a  pelican  sitting  in  a  tree  near  by, 
and  called  on  Jim  to  shoot  it ;  he  drew  up  his  gun 
and  cocked  it :  at  that  instant  the  pelican  flew  from 
the  tree  before  he  had  time  to  fire :  the  old  negro  laid 
his  gun  down  on  the  seat  along  side  of  us,  and  pro 
ceeded  on  with  his  long  story,  carelessly  holding  his 
hand  over  the  muzzle.  By  some  accidental  move 
ment,  unobserved  by  me,  the  gun  was  discharged, 
and  having  a  lead  slug  in  it,  cut  a  large  piece  of 
flesh  from  the  thick  part  of  his  hand,  and  took  off 
three  of  his  fingers,  leaving  them  hanging  by  small 
pieces  of  skin.  We  made  the  best  way  we  could  to 
the  village,  where  I  procured  a  pair  of  scissors  and 
severed  the  fingers  from  the  hand. 

Some  time  after,  another  report  was  circulated 
that  some  of  the  king's  officers  had  received  orders 
to  arrest  these  negroes,  which  gave  them  great 
alarm.  Ebo  Jim  implored  me  to  write  to  Mr.  Ellis, 
my  old  friend,  begging  his  protection  until  he  could 
procure  a  passage  back  to  his  former  owner,  which 
Mr.  Ellis  readily  granted,  and  making  me  a  visit 
soon  after,  he  took  Jim  home  with  him  and  after- 


84  DUNHAM'S 

wards  sent  him  back  to  his  former  mistress.  I  was 
much  pleased  to  see  Mr.  Ellis,  he  being  the  first 
white  man  I  had  seen  within  the  last  three  weeks. 

Moody,  Mandingo  Jim  and  Scotland,  had  a  meet 
ing  soon  after,  and  agreed  to  forgive  and  forget  all 
their  former  difficulties  and  return  to  their  old  retreat 
for  safety,  and  there  unite  for  the  defence  of  each 
other.  All  their  former  contests  being  settled,  I  ad 
vised  them  to  retire  and  live  peaceably  together,  and 
not  annoy  me  or  the  Indians  any  more  with  their 
private  quarrels,  which  they  faithfully  promised  to 
adhere  to. 

I  now  employed  myself  cheerfully  in  reading  and 
other  amusements  for  a  few  days,  when  suddenly  an 
Indian  called  at  my  door  and  told  me  that  Scotland 
wanted  me  to  come  down  to  the  landing  place,  that 
he  was  lying  in  his  canoe  badly  wounded.  I  repaired 
to  the  place,  where  I  found  his  sail  spread  over  his 
canoe,  and  he  lying  on  the  bottom.  I  perceived  that 
the  blood  had  covered  the  whole  bottom  of  the  canoe, 
apparently  one  inch  or  more  deep.  On  examination 
of  his  body  I  found  he  had  received  a  large  charge 
of  shot  in  his  right  breast,  which  had  cut  out  about 
one  pound  of  fl^esh ;  and  another  in  his  thigh,  which 
had  severed  the  bones,  and  cut  the  flesh  to  pieces  in 
the  most  shocking  manner.  I  asked  him  how  this 
misfortune  happened  to  him.  He  answered  me  by 
saying,  "  Captain,  Jim  and  Moody  do  me  too  bad. 
This  morning  Jim  and  me  go  a  hunting  together,  we 
come  home  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  feel  tired  and  lay 


VOYAGES.  85 

down  on  my  crawl  and  go  to  sleep ;  first  I  know,  I 
hear  a  gun  go  pow,  I  look  at  the  door  and  see  Jim 
stand  there,  I  say,  '  Jim,  see  what  these  Indians  do 
me ;'  Jim  say,  Moody  give  it  to  him,  Moody  fire  his 
gun  and  break  my  thigh,  and  then  both  run  away 
and  left  me.  By  and  by  one  Indian  come,  and  I  give 
my  gun  to  paddle  me  here  to  see  you.  Now  I  want 
you  to  get  Sally  and  the  other  woman  to  mend  me 
up  again." 

I  called  on  my  hospitable  Sally,  who  hastily  de 
clared  she  would  not  try  to  mend  Scotland  up,  or 
have  him  left  in  the  village,  and  I  must  send  him 
back  to  his  house  in  the  bush  :  if  she  should  mend 
him  up  again  he  would  kill  Moody  and  Jim,  and  that 
she  would  have  no  farther  trouble  with  these  negroes. 
There  being  no  white  person  to  advise  with,  I  called 
Prince,  the  neutral  negro,  and  told  him  he  must  take 
Scotland  back  to  his  house,  help  him  on  his  crawl  or 
bed,  set  a  calabash  of  water  within  reach,  and  leave 
him.  Prince  hesitated  some  about  obeying  my  orders, 
but  by  persuasion  and  some  reward,  he  embarked  in 
the  canoe  and  paddled  him  back  to  his  house,  helped 
him  into  it,  placed  him  on  his  crawl,  and  at  his  re 
quest  built  a  fire,  set  water  within  his  reach,  load 
ed  his  gun,  and  placed  ammunition  near  him,  for 
he  was  determined  to  defend  himself  as  long  as  he 
had  breath. 

After  they  had  departed,  I  sat  down  on  the  beach 
and  reflected  on  the  forlorn  situation  of  this  unfortu 
nate  desperado.  He  well  knew  he  must  die  from  his 


86  DUNHAM'S 

wounds,  or  be  murdered  by  Moody  and  Jim,  or  de 
stroyed  by  tigers,  his  hut  having  no  doors  to  protect 
him  from  wild  beasts.  When  Prince  returned  I  asked 
him  if  he  had  any  conversation  with  Scotland  on  the 
passage.  He  replied,  "  Yes,  I  told  Scotland  that 
Moody  and  Jim  would  kill  him  this  night.  He  re 
plied,  then  they  will  say,  there  is  a  man  dead." 

At  night  I  retreated  to  my  lodgings  in  my  store, 
where  I  slept  for  the  protection  of  my  property.  At 
this  time  I  had  learned  that  the  English  traders  on 
the  coast  had  held  a  meeting  and  entered  into  an 
agreement,  pledging  themselves  never  to  carry  me, 
nor  take  any  letters  to  Jamaica  or  elsewhere,  to 
help  me  to  get  away  from  this  coast.  Having  no 
white  friends  to  console  me,  and  being  more  than 
two  thousand  miles  from  my  family  and  friends,  I 
retired  to  bed  with  solitary  feelings.  Not  having 
much  inclination  for  sleep,  I  remained  awake  until 
about  twelve  o'clock,  when  I  heard  the  report  of  a 
gun,  which  I  imagined  had  ended  the  tragedy. 

At  daylight  I  arose  and  called  on  an  old  negro 
who  had  resided  here  with  his  family  many  years, 
the  Indians  called  him  darmer,  equivalent  to  grand 
father  in  the  English  language,  who  conducted  me 
to  Scotland's  hut.  I  found  the  old  negro  laying  dead 
on  his  crawl,  or  bed,  a  musket  ball  having  passed 
through  his  body.  Having  met  Moody  and  Jim,  be 
fore  our  arrival  at  Scotland's  house,  I  compelled  them 
to  go  back  with  me.  I  accused  them  with  having 
committed  the  murder,  and  endeavored  to  impress 


VOYAGES.  87 

upon  their  minds  the  enormity  of  the  crime.  They 
denied  the  firing  of  the  last  fatal  shot,  by  saying, 
Scotland  had  tied  the  trigger  of  his  gun  to  the  side  of 
his  house,  placed  the  muzzle  against  his  side,  and  by 
pulling  the  gun  discharged  the  contents,  becoming 
his  own  executioner.  I  selected  a  place  to  bury  the 
remains  of  the  old  negro,  but  having  no  shovels  to 
dig  with,  we  were  obliged  to  use  wooden  paddles, 
my  only  help  being  Moody  and  Jim,  and  they  both 
cripples,  we  made 'but  slow  progress.  Soon  after 
Prince  arrived,  when  I  sent  him  to  an  Indian  house 
some  distance  from  the  place,  to  borrow  a  hoe,  to 
assist  in  digging  the  grave.  The  woman  of  the  house 
refused  to  lend  it,  saying,  "Her  daughter  was  sick, 
and  if  she  lent  the  hoe  to  dig  a  grave  the  doctor  or 
sookerman,  who  attended  her,  would  forsake  the 
house  if  he  knew  the  hoe  had  been  used  for  that 
purpose."  We  finally  succeeded  in  digging  two  or 
three  feet  deep,  when  I  sent  home  and  got  a  saw  and 
cut  Scotland's  canoe  in  two  pieces,  then  placing  the 
corpse  between  them,  put  him,  together  with  all  his 
clothes  in  the  grave,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
country.  Previous  to  interring  the  corpse,  I  offered 
to  give  away  his  clothes,  but  no  person  would  ac 
cept  of  them,  because  the  owner  was  dead.  The 
funeral  ceremonies  being  ended,  I  returned  home, 
hoping  to  enjoy  some  repose  after  the  long  annoy 
ance  from  these  negroes. 

Fresh  reports  were  soon  circulated  that  the  king 
had  commissioned  one  of  his  officers,  called  Sambo 


88  DUNHAM'S 

Tom  to  arrest  Moody  and  Jim.  They  hearing  of  this 
report,  determined  to  leave  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  pass  through  a  border  settlement  inhabited  by  a 
tribe  of  Indians  called  the  Woolwas,  adjoining  the 
Spanish  settlements,  and  seek  protection  from  the 
Spaniards.  Sambo  Tom  pursued,  but  not  daring  to 
arrest  them  himself,  he  employed  the  Woolwas  to  do 
so.  The  negroes  having  arrived  among  the  Wool- 
was,  hired  some  of  them  to  transport  them  in  their 
canoes  to  the  Spanish  settlements ;  but  being  well 
armed,  and  having  plenty  of  ammunition,  the  In 
dians  were  afraid  to  attack  them,  and  therefore  pro 
fessed  great  friendship,  agreeing  to  convey  them 
where  they  wished  to  go.  Two  canoes  joined  in  this 
expedition,  and  while  passing  a  fall  in  the  river  the 
Indians  upset  the  one  containing  the  negroes,  which 
wet  their  guns  and  ammunition,  when  the  Indians  in 
the  other  canoe  threw  their  lances  and  killed  them 
in  the  water.  Their  wives  were  given  up  to  their 
former  owners  at  St.  Andreas. 

Little  did  I  think  when  I  landed  in  this  country 
among  a  mixed  race  of  Indians,  that  I  should  find 
some  blood  relations,  so  called  by  the  natives,  among 
them.  An  Indian  woman,  calling  her  name  Sally 
Bryant,  the  wife  of  Scipio,  one  of  the  king's  quarter 
masters,  called  on  me  and  told  me  she  was  a  blood- 
relation  of  mine,  and  claimed  some  present  as  an  ac 
knowledgment  of  it  on  my  part.  I  asked  her  what 
evidence  she  had  of  our  relationship.  She  replied, 
"  That  her  father  was  an  American."  The  argument 


VOYAGES.  89 

was  so  conclusive  that  I  did  not  think  it  necessary 
to  contradict  it,  but  gave  her  some  small  presents, 
which  were  well  repaid.  Sally  often  volunteered  to 
assist  me  in  selling  my  goods,  and  brought  me  many 
customers  by  saying  to  the  Indians,  "  My  country 
man's  goods  are  better  and  cheaper  than  them 
Englishman's,  and  he  no  rogue,  like  them  English 
traders." 

Soon  after,  a  Curracoa  man  arrived  from  Blue- 
fields,  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  that  place,  who 
brought  a  message  from  his  wife,  known  by  the  name 
of  Mrs.  Peggy,  requesting  me  to  furnish  her  with 
some  goods  to  sell  on  commission,  and  she  would 
deal  honestly  by  me,  having  heard  of  my  misfortune 
in  losing  my  vessel,  &c.  that  she  wanted  to  see  me 
very  much,  and  pitied  me  more  because  I  was  a  re 
lative  of  hers,  her  father  being  an  American.  I  for 
warded  Mrs.  Peggy  two  or  three  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  goods  to  sell  on  commission,  the  greatest 
part  of  which  she  sold,  made  good  returns,  and  I 
found  her  more  honest  than  white  relations  gene 
rally  are  in  their  trade  with  each  other. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Visit  to  Corn  Island. 


I  sold  the  Biddle's  sails,  which  I  had  saved  from 
the  wreck,  for  eighty  pounds  of  tortoise-shell,  paya- 


90  DUNHAM'S 

ble  at  Corn  Island,  which  lies  in  the  wide  ocean, 
forty  miles  from  the  main  land.  I  soon  received  a 
message,  saying  the  shell  was  ready  for  delivery,  but 
I  must  come  and  receive  it.  Having  been  advised 
of  the  danger  of  leaving  it  there,  and  that  delays 
were  dangerous  in  dealing  with  those  I  had  bar 
gained  with,  and  fearing  I  should  lose  my  debt  if  I 
neglected  it,  I  determined  upon  making  the  trip  in 
my  canoe,  the  only  conveyance  I  had  for  getting 
there.  The  easterly  trade-winds  constantly  prevail 
here,  except  the  westerly  land  breezes,  which  blow 
during  the  night,  and  extend  out  a  few  miles  from 
the  shore.  My  canoe  was  fitted  in  Indian  style,  hav 
ing  a  number  of  small  holes  bored  in  her  sides  near 
the  top,  and  small  cords  attached  to  them,  to  which 
we  tied  our  dinner-pot,  gun,  or  any  other  articles  we 
wished  to  carry  with  us,  which  I  found  a  safe  plan 
for  preserving  the  necessaries  we  carry  on  board.  If 
the  canoe  happens  to  turn  over,  such  accidents  hav 
ing  frequently  happened  to  me,  the  whole  crew  swim 
along  side,  turn  her  up,  and  by  rolling  her  quickly 
soon  discharge  most  of  the  water.  This  being  done, 
one  man  gets  into  the  canoe  and  bails  out  the  re 
mainder  with  his  hat  or  paddle,  while  the  goods  re 
main  hanging  by  the  ropes.  After  this  is  accom 
plished  all  hands  get  on  board  and  go  on. 

I  hired  three  Indians,  took  some  provisions,  a  jug 
of  rum  and  a  dinner-pot  on  board,  and  proceeded  on 
the  voyage.  Affer  losing  the  land  winds  we  had  to 
paddle  our  canoe  directly  against  the  wind  and  a 


VOYAGES.  91 

rough  sea.  We  paddled  about  fifteen  miles,  when  we 
landed  on  a  small  desolate  island  or  sand  bank,  hav 
ing  no  vegetation  on  it  except  half-a-dozen  small 
trees  about  the  size  of  a  man's  leg.  It  being  nearly 
dark,  we  hauled  our  canoe  up  the  beach,  cooked 
and  ate  some  fish,  and  then  laid  ourselves  down  on 
the  ground  to  sleep.  Soon  after,  it  commenced  rain 
ing,  when  the  Indians  got  up  and  stripped  themselves 
naked,  turned  the  canoe  bottom  upwards  and  put 
their  clothes  under  it.  I  followed  their  example,  and 
we  all  sat  down  naked  on  the  ground,  leaning  against 
some  small  trees,  and  remained  in  that  situation  un 
til  about  daylight,  the  rain  pouring  down  in  torrents 
during  the  night.  As  the  sun  arose  the  weather  be 
came  pleasant,  and  we  proceeded  on  our  voyage, 
arriving  at  Corn  Island  that  evening^  after  a  hard 
days'  paddle. 

Great  Corn  Island  lies  in  latitude  12°  10'  N.,  lon 
gitude  82°  11'  W.  and  is  about  six  miles  in  circum 
ference.  The  soil  is  fertile,  producing  good  cotton, 
abundance  of  provisions,  and  all  kinds  of  tropical 
fruits ;  breeds  good  horses,  cattle,  hogs,  poultry,  &c. 
and  has  abundance  of  fish.  The  Island  contains 
about  twenty-five  dwelling  houses,  and  from  one  to 
two  hundred  slaves.  Little  Corn  Island  lays  about 
ten  miles  north  of  the  Great  one,  is  uninhabited,  but 
produces  an  abundance  of  cocoa-nuts. 

I  remained  at  Corn  Island  two  days,  where  I  was 
treated  with  the  greatest  hospitality,  being  furnished 
with  plenty  of  provisions,  fruits,  &c.  and  having  col- 


92  DUNHAM'S 

lected  my  shell,  I  embarked  early  in  the  morning, 
with  a  fair  wind,  for  Pearl  Key  Lagoon.  The  wind 
soon  died  away  and  left  us  with  a  dead  calm,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  paddle  under  a  burning  sun  dur 
ing  the  day,  which  blistered  my  cheeks  and  ancles, 
not  having  any  stockings  on  my  feet.  We  arrived  at 
our  home  about  eleven  o'clock  that  night. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Visit  to   Bluefields. 

Bluefields  lies  about  twenty-five  miles  south  of 
Pearl  Key  Lagoon  on  the  main  land,  and  has  a  good 
harbor  for  small  vessels,  the  water  on  the  bar  at  the 
mouth  being  about  nine  feet  deep. 

The  English  government  took  possession  of  it 
many  years  ago,  but  afterwards  exchanged  their 
possessions  here  with  the  Spanish  government  for 
the  Bay  of  Honduras.  Colonel  Hudson,  an  English 
planter  from  the  Island  of  Jamaica,  settled  here  with 
a  number  of  negro  slaves.  By  the  exchange  of  the 
country,  he  found  it  difficult  to  remove  his  slaves, 
who  had  intermarried  with  the  Indians,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  sell  them  their  freedom  and  take  their  se 
curity  for  the  payment  of  the  debt,  which  was  to 
be  paid  in  yearly  instalments.  From  what  I  could 
learn  from  these  negroes,  he  never  realized  much 


VOYAGES.  93 

from  them.  The  inhabitants  of  Bluefields  are  mostly 
called  Samboes,  being  a  mixture  of  negro,  Indian, 
and  white  blood. 

After  remaining  a  few  months  at  the  Lagoon, 
and  receiving  many  invitations,  I  concluded  to  make 
a  visit  to  Bluefields,  form  some  new  acquaintance, 
and  call  on  my  countrywoman,  Mrs.  Peggy,  who 
claimed  to  be  a  relation  of  mine  because  her  father 
was  said  to  be  an  American,  and  ascertain  what 
progress  she  made  in  disposing  of  the  goods  I  had 
sent  to  her  to  sell  on  commission. 

I  fitted  up  my  canoe,  hired  three  Indians,  put  our 
dinner-pot,  gun,  fishing  spears  and  some  provisions 
on  board,  and  launched  out  into  the  broad  ocean 
again.  After  we  had  proceeded  about  fifteen  miles 
the  wind  increased,  which  caused  the  sea  to  run  so 
high  that  we  were  obliged  to  run  our  canoe  on  shore, 
and  hauling  her  up  we  built  a  fire,  a  precaution  ne 
cessary  in  travelling  in  this  country  to  avoid  being 
attacked  by  wild  beasts,  and  after  cooking  a  scanty 
meal  took  lodging  on  the  ground.  We  were  much 
annoyed  during  the  night  by  musquittoes  and  small 
gnats,  or  sand-flies,  which  allowed  us  but  little  sleep. 
The  next  morning,  the  wind  having  moderated,  we 
got  under  weigh  and  proceeded  to  Bluefields,  where 
we  arrived  about  sunset. 

Here  we  learned  that  a  negro  man  had  lately 
been  employed  in  cutting  up  a  large  green  turtle  on 
the  shore  near  that  place,  and  while  stooping  down 
to  accomplish  his  undertaking,  a  tiger  sallied  out 


94  DUNHAM'S 

of  a  thicket  of  bushes,  sprang  upon  his  back  and 
struck  one  of  his  claws  into  the  back  of  his  neck,  in 
flicting  a  mortal  wound  which  caused  his  death  the 
third  day  after. 

I  was  joyfully  received  by  Mrs,  Peggy,  my  coun 
trywoman,  and  all  her  family :  also  received  invita 
tions  to  visit  most  of  the  families  of  the  town.  A 
good  supper  was  provided  for  me,  and  I  was  treated 
with  the  best  food  and  fruits  that  the  country  afforded. 
The  usual  lodgings  in  this  country  is  hammocks,  sus 
pended  across  the  house,  in  which  a  person  accus 
tomed  to  them  can  sleep  very  comfortably.  Mrs. 
Peggy  wishing  to  treat  me  with  extraordinary  kind 
ness,  I  being  a  kinsman  of  hers,  furnished  me  \vith 
what  she  called  a  crawl,  fitted  up  in  a  spare  bed 
room,  for  my  lodging. 

A  crawl  is  made  by  cutting  four  small  crotched 
sticks  of  wood,  three  or  four  feet  in  length,  which 
are  driven  into  the  ground,  (the  house  having  no 
floor,)  and  two  sticks  some  three  feet  in  length, 
placed  across  the  ends,  then  a  number  of  round 
sticks,  much  resembling  hoop-poles  roughly  trimmed 
with  the  bark  on  them,  are  laid  closely  together, 
resting  on  the  cross-poles  and  covered  over  with  a 
piece  of  Indian  cloth,  which  forms  the  sacking  of  the 
bedstead.  I  retired  to  my  lodging  at  an  early  hour, 
as  I  had  not  enjoyed  much  sleep  the  preceding 
night,  and  laying  myself  down  on  the  crawl  thought 
to  take  some  repose,  but  I  soon  found  the  knots  in 
the  poles  were  harder  than  my  flesh.  "So  coy  a 


VOYAGES.  95 

dame  was  sleep  to  me,  with  all  the  weary  courtship 
of  my  care-tried  thoughts,  I  could  not  win  her  to  my 
bed,"  and  I  was  glad  to  crawl  off  the  crawl  and  take 
up  my  lodgings  on  the  ground  under  it. 

The  next  day  Mrs.  Peggy  wishing  to  treat  me 
with  the  best  food  the  country  afforded,  procured  a 
large  fat  monkey,  had  it  neatly  dressed,  and  roasted 
in  good  style  for  dinner.  As  it  was  roasting  before 
the  fire  it  looked  so  much  like  a  human  being  that  I 
felt  my  appetite  crawl  off,  and  told  my  good  coun 
try  woman  that  I  had  made  an  engagement  to  meet 
an  Indian  at  a  village  about  two  miles  from  that 
place,  at  12  o'clock,  to  purchase  a  quantity  of  shell, 
and  wished  to  be  punctual  in  my  promise.  This 
excuse  for  absence  obtained  her  reluctant  consent 
to  let  me  go,  and  I  lost  my  dinner.  I  left  Bluefields 
the  next  day  and  returned  to  Pearl  Key  Lagoon. 

I  must  here  relate  a  humorous  conversation  I 
heard  at  Bluefields  between  two  of  the  most  respec 
table  young  ladies  of  that  place,  named  Mary  and 
Mauger.  A  vessel  having  arrived  there  from  Cur- 
racoa,  the  captain  and  two  others  came  on  shore, 
and  setting  down  along  side  of  these  young  ladies, 
commenced  a  vulgar  conversation  with, Mauger. 
Mary  having  more  modesty  than  her  companion, 
immediately  called  Mauger  away  from  them,  and 
said,  "Mauger,  you  fool  gal,  why  you  talk  them 
Curracoa  Buckras,  mind  by  and  by,  mouth  fly  off." 

The  father  of  the  present  Musquitto  king  must 
have  been  fond  of  women,  as  he  had  no  less  than 


96  DUNHAM'S 

fourteen  wives.  He  was  a  great  tyrant,  and  was 
murdered  by  his  subjects  for  his  tyranny  over  them. 
The  English  government  ordered  his  two  eldest  sons 
to  be  carried  to  Jamaica  and  put  under  the  care  of 
the  Duke  of  Manchester,  then  governor  of  that 
island,  where  they  remained  about  six  years  and  ob 
tained  a  fair  English  education.  The  present  king, 
who  calls  his  name  George  Frederick,  was  furnished 
with  a  large  outfit  from  the  duke,  consisting  of  a  suit 
of  clothes  worth  eighteen  hundred  dollars,  repairs 
of  his  father's  crown  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  and 
four  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods  and  presents 
to  distribute  among  his  subjects.  A  sloop  of  war 
was  fitted  out  to  carry  him  to  the  Bay  of  Honduras, 
where  he  was  crowned,  and  from  thence  conveyed 
to  his  own  dominions. 

Soon  after  my  return  from  Bluefields  I  was 
visited  by  the  new  king,  it  being  his  first  visit  to 
the  Lagoon.  After  my  introduction  I  told  him  the 
English  traders  on  the  coast  were  determined  to  pre 
vent  my  opening  a  trade  with  his  subjects,  and  soli 
cited  his  protection.  He  readily  agreed  to  give  me 
a  permit,  which  he  himself  signed,  and  is  as  follows  : 

"  PEARL  KEY  LAGOON,  July  20fA,  1815. 

"Permission  is  hereby  given  to  Captain  Jacob 
Dunham,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
to  touch  and  trade  in  all  parts  of  my  dominions  in 
any  vessel  from  North  America. 

"GEORGE  FREDERICK, 

"  King  of  the  Musquitto  Nation." 


VOYAGES.  97 

I  made  the  king  a  few  presents,  and  the  inhabi 
tants  gave  us  a  ball,  where  we  amused  ourselves 
by  dancing  on  a  ground  floor.  The  king  left  us  a 
few  days  after. 

I  soon  became  familiar  with  the  Indians,  by 
joining  in  their  amusements  and  obtaining  a  know 
ledge  of  their  laws,  customs,  &c.  I  received  an 
invitation  to  go  to  what  they  call  "  a  drink-about 
of  pine-liquor."  I  quickly  dressed  myself  in  In 
dian  fashion,  having  my  face  ornamented  with  red 
paint,  forming  curls  and  other  figures,  and  my  hat 
ornamented  with  beautiful  plumage  plucked  from 
the  birds  of  the  forest.  I  proceeded  about  two  miles 
in  company  with  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  our  place 
to  the  village  of  Bigman's  Bank,  where  we  were 
joined  by  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  neighbor 
ing  villages  within  five  or  six  miles  of  that  place, 
who  had  previously  brought  their  pine-apples,  pealed 
them,  grated  them  up  fine  and  squeezed  out  th%  juice 
into  a  sixty  gallon  cask,  which  was  full,  and  had  been 
in  a  state  of  fermentation  for  some  days  past,  but 
had  now  become  pure,  and  contained  spirit  sufficient 
to  intoxicate  all  those  who  drank  much  of  it.  Before 
the  drinking  commenced  the  men  gave  up  their 
knives  and  other  weapons  to  the  squaws.  The  men 
remained  there  two  or  three  days,  but  I  returned 
home  the  first  evening,  fully  satisfied.  I  continued 
my  trade  with  the  Indians,  bartering  my  goods  for 
tortoise-shell,  cow-hides,  deer-skins,  tiger-skins,  gum 
copal,  India  rubber,  &c. 

5 


98  DUNHAM'S 

Having  much  leisure  time,  I  devoted  a  great  part 
of  it  to  learning  their  language,  customs,  laws,  man 
ner  of  taking  turtle,  fish,  birds  and  different  animals  ; 
mode  of  agriculture ;  births,  marriages  and  burials, 
of  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  give  the  reader  some 
information. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Mode  of  Taking  Turtle. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  turtle  inhabiting  these 
seas  :  the  first  and  most  valuable  are  the  hawk-bill, 
they  are  caught  for  the  beauty  of  their  shell,  which 
contains  thirteen  pieces,  covering  the  thick  callipach 
of  the  turtle,  which  is  from  two  to  four  feet  long. 
The  outer  shell  is  taken  from  the  carcase  by  setting 
it  up  before  a  warm  fire,  when  it  peels  off.  The 
second  is  called  loggerhead  turtle,  having  a  shell 
much  resembling  the  hawk-bill,  but  not  worth  any 
thing  for  manufacturing.  The  third  is  the  green 
turtle,  whose  flesh  is  very  delicious,  and  so  well 
known  that  I  consider  any  description  unnecessary. 
The  Indians  take  them  by  what  they  call  striking, 
having  a  pole  about  the  size  of  a  fishing  rod,  with  a 
small  spear,  two  or  three  inches  long,  well  barbed  at 
the  point,  to  which  one  end  of  a  small  cord,  about 
sixty  feet  long,  is  made  fast  and  wound  round  a 
piece  of  cork- wood,  resembling  a  weavers  spool.  He 


VOYAGES.  99 

then  stands  up  in  his  canoe,  and  by  taking  aim  hits 
his  mark  and  secures  his  prey. 

Another  mode  of  taking  turtle  is  by  making  set 
nets,  about  thirty  feet  square,  from  large  twine,  they 
then  carve  imitation  turtle  out  of  soft,  light  wood, 
which  are  smoked  over  the  fire  to  give  them  a  turtle 
color,  and  then  attached  to  the  upper  side  of  the  net, 
where  they  float  on  the  surface  of  the  water  as 
buoys,  while  the  bottom  is  anchored  with  stones. 
The  turtle  resort  to  the  nets  to  play  with  the  wooden 
decoys,  and  during  their  sport  generally  get  one  of 
their  flippers  entangled,  and  by  struggling  to  extri 
cate  themselves  get  into  the  net  and  are  easily  taken. 

The  next  operation  of  catching  them  is  perform 
ed  by  three  or  four  Indians  going  to  the  resort  of  the 
turtles,  where  they  build  a  temporary  hut  to  live  in, 
each  takes  possession  of  his  ground,  say  one  quarter 
or  half  a  mile ;  on  which  he  walks  backwards  and 
forwards  like  a  sentry  on  guard  during  the  night, 
watching  the  movements  of  his  game ;  and  when  the 
turtles  crawl  up  the  beach  to  deposit  their  eggs, 
during  the  laying  season,  he  turns  them  over  on 
their  backs,  where  they  remain  until  he  wants  to 
take  possession.  When  ready,  he  removes  them  at 
pleasure. 

The  turtle  generally  crawls  up  about  ten  rods 
from  the  sea- shore  on  the  soft  beach- sand,  making  a 
large  track  with  its  flippers,  and  digging  a  hole  in 
the  sand  about  two  feet  deep,  lays  forty  eggs,  and 
returns  to  the  sea  again  the  same  night.  About  fif- 


100  DUNHAM'S 

teen  nights  after,  the  identical  turtle  returns  to  the 
same  nest  and  lays  forty  more  eggs,  then  retreats 
into  the  sea  again  and  returns  there  no  more  dur 
ing  that  season. 

The  manatee,  or  sea-cow,  is  from  ten  to  fourteen 
feet  long,  and  has  a  head  much  resembling  our  com 
mon  cow  without  horns.  They  often  get  asleep  on 
the  surface  of  the  water,  when  the  Indians  very 
carefully  paddle  their  canoes  to  them,  and  by  throw 
ing  their  small  spears  into  them,  capture  them  in  the 
same  manner  they  do  the  turtle.  The  beef  when  cut 
up  is  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  thick,  having  a  strip 
of  fat  and  lean  intermixed  about  every  inch,  being 
the  handsomest  beef  I  ever  beheld  or  tasted,  and 
having  no  kind  of  fish  taste  or  smell. 

The  coast  here  abounds  with  a  variety  of  good 
fish ;  the  larger  ones  are  mostly  taken  by  spearing. 

The  Indians  have  often  brought  me  beef  of  the 
mountain-cow,  which  I  found  of  a  very  good  flavor, 
I  never  saw  but  one  young  one  of  that  species,  and 
cannot  give  a  very  good  description  of  them.  The 
young  one  I  saw,  much  resembled  a  young  fawn. 
They  are  killed  by  shooting. 

Parrots,  when  cooked,  taste  much  like  our  wild 
pigeons,  and  are  taken  in  abundance  by  shooting. 
A  few  tame  ones  are  kept  about  the  houses,  which 
fly  into  the  shade-trees  near  the  premises,  and  serve 
as  stool-pigeons  to  call  down  the  wild  flocks  that 
are  daily  passing  over  the  villages. 

The  armadilla  also  inhabits  this  country,  and 


VOYAGES.  101 

is  considered  very  palatable  food.  The  guana,  re 
sembles  the  common  lizard  in  shape  and  color,  and 
is  from  two  to  four  feet  in  length,  in  this  country  its 
flesh  is  considered  delicious  meat. 

The  cattle  are  much  larger  than  those  of  the 
United  States.  They  seldom  milk  the  cows,  which 
run  in  herds,  and  are  not  domesticated.  Each  in 
habitant  marks  his  calves  when  young ;  and  when 
he  wants  to  kill  a  beef  he  shoots  one  of  his  own 
mark.  They  domesticate  but  few  horses,  having 
scarcely  any  roads,  the  country  being  cut  up  with 
lakes,  rivers,  and  creeks,  without  bridges.  The  prin 
cipal  travel  is  performed  in  canoes.  The  horses  are 
well  formed,  but  a  kind  of  tick  eats  the  gristle  out 
of  their  ears,  which  causes  them  to  fall  down  on 
their  head,  giving  them  the  appearance  of  lopped 
eared  hogs. 

They  have  abundance  of  hogs  and  poultry,  which 
are  cheaply  fed  on  cocoa-nuts  that  grow  wild  along 
the  sea-coast,  and  are  gathered  in  large  quantities. 
The  first  work  of  the  morning,  performed  by  the 
Indian  women,  is  breaking  cocoa-nuts  for  the  hogs, 
and  cracking  some  for  the  dogs,  then  cutting  up  fine 
for  the  poultry.  They  grate  up  a  large  quantity 
with  tin  graters,  put  it  in  pots  and  extract  the  oil, 
which  makes  good  lard  for  frying  fish ;  and  when 
it  turns  rancid  becomes  very  fair  lamp  oil.  Forty 
cocoa-nuts  will  produce  one  gallon  of  it. 

The  forests  abound  with  wild  hogs  of  two  diffe 
rent  species,  called  Warry  and  Pecara,  having  a  small 


102  DUNHAM'S 

tit  or  navel  on  their  backs.  When  they  are  shot  the 
Indians  immediately  cut  out  the  tit  to  prevent  its 
scenting  the  meat.  I  have  ate  the  flesh  of  it  often, 
and  found  it  equal  to  other  meat  of  the  pork  kind. 

Plantain  is  the  principal  bread  food  of  the  coun 
try,  and  easily  cultivated.  It  also  produces  yams, 
cassauder,  sweet  potatoes  or  eddies,  and  many  other 
vegetables  ;  but  the  natives  are  too  indolent  to  culti 
vate  them.  I  lived  seven  months  among  them  with 
out  tasting  a 'mouthful  of  bread,  or  even  craving  it. 

I  will  now  give  a  small  extract  of  Musquitto  laws, 
viz  :  If  a  man  commits  adultery  with  his  neighbor's 
wife,  and  it  comes  to  the  knowledge  of  her  husband, 
he  takes  his  gun  and  goes  to  the  forest  where  he 
finds  a  herd  of  cattle  belonging  to  the  neighbor 
hood  ;  he  shoots  a  good  fat  bullock  and  calls  on  the 
neighbors  to  assist  him  to  dress  it  and  convey  it 
home,  where  he  makes  a  great  feast,  inviting  the 
man  who  committed  the  offence,  and  all  the  neigh 
bors  to  partake  with  him,  when  the  offender,  who 
is  bound  by  law,  pays  for  the  bullock  and  all  is 
amicably  settled. 

If  a  man  prevails  on  another  man's  wife  to  leave 
her  husband  and  live  with  him,  the  Jaw  compels  him 
to  pay  a  fine  of  four  backs  of  tortoise-shell,  worth 
six  dollars  each,  amounting  to  twenty-four  dollars, 
and  a  receipt  in  full  is  verbally  acknowledged,  with 
out  any  hard  feelings  between  the  parties. 

I  once  witnessed  a  settlement  between  two  men 
in  a  cause  of  this  kind,  both  parties  appeared  well 


VOYAGES.  103 

satisfied,  and   parted   on   the   most  friendly  terms. 

They  have  a  singular  law  for  the  collection  of 
debts.  If  I  trust  an  Indian  goods,  he  belonging  to 
another  town  or  settlement,  and  he  neglects  to  pay 
me,  and  I  find  another  Indian  belonging  to  the  same 
town,  having  tortoise-shell  or  other  produce  in  his 
canoe,  I  can  take  it  away  from  him  for  the  debt,  and 
he  must  look  to  the  man  who  was  indebted  to  me, 
for  remuneration. 

Marriage  contracts  are  made  by  parents  while 
the  children  are  infants.  Two  families  living  in  one 
neighborhood,  one  of  them  having  a  son  and  the 
other  a  daughter,  enter  into  a  contract  that,  they 
shall  be  considered  man  and  wife.  When  they  are 
of  a  proper  age  to  be  joined  together,  all  the  inhabi 
tants  of  the  place  assemble  together,  build  them  a 
house,  help  them  to  a  hammock  to  sleep  in,  and  a 
dinner-pot  for  cooking,  and  they  commence  as  house 
keepers.  After  living  together  for  some  years  as  man 
and  wife,  the  husband  receives  a  present  of  a  female 
child  from  its  parents,  which  he  carries  home,  and 
calls  it  his  young  wife,  the  first  wife  taking  the  same 
care  of  it  she  would  of  her  own  children  until  it  be 
comes  of  proper  age,  when  the  husband  builds  a  new 
house  for  the  first  wife  to  live  in,  and  takes  the  young 
wife  for  a  house-keeper.  I  have  often  been  invited 
into  Indian  houses  and  introduced  to  the  family  in 
this  manner :  "  This  is  my  old  wife,"  pointing  to  an 
elderly  woman,  and  "  This  is  my  young  wife,"  point 
ing  to  a  girl  from  six  to  ten  years  old.  The  old  wife 


104        _.  DUNHAM'S 

would  smooth  her  hair  and  appear  to  feel  a  great 
deal  of  pride  in  being  presented  to  me. 

On  the  day  a  woman  is  delivered  of  a  child  she 
goes  to  the  sea-side,  wades  into  the  water  knee  depth, 
washes  herself  and  infant,  and  the  next  day  slings 
the  child  on  her  back,  gets  into  a  canoe  and  paddles 
two  or  three  miles  to  visit  her  friends. 

I  here  take  my  leave  of  Musquitto  laws  and  cus 
toms  for  the  present. 

As  the  plan  of  cutting  a  canal  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  by  the  way  of  the  River  St. 
Johns,  which  leads  from  the  Atlantic  into  the  Lakes 
Nicaragua  and  Leon,  has  so  much  engaged  the  at 
tention  of  the  public  latterly,  my  thoughts  have  been 
carried  back  to  a  conversation  I  had  with  an  old 
Musquitto  Indian  about  thirty-five  years  since. 

He  said,  "  The  Indians  frequently  paddled  their 
canoes  up  the  St.  John's  River,  through  Nicaragua 
Lake  into  Lake  Leon,  where  they  found  a  small 
river,  and  proceeded  to  the  head  of  it,  which  brought 
them  so  near  the  head  of  another  river  which  led 
into  the  Pacific,  that  they  hauled  their  canoes  over 
by  land  from  the  head  of  one  river  to  the  other, 
and  then  passed  through  into  the  Pacific  Ocean." 


VOYAGES.  105 


CHAPTER    X. 

» 

The  bite  of  many  of  the  snakes  of  this  country  is 
so  poisonous  as  to  cause  death  in  a  few  hours.  Dur 
ing  my  residence  at  the  Lagoon  I  was  visited  by  an 
Indian  admiral,  named  Drummer,  who  resided  at 
Sandy  Bay,  some  forty  miles  north  of  the  Lagoon ; 
he  related  the  following  story,  which  happened  a 
few  weeks  before.  "  He  sent  an  Indian  slave  to  his 
plantain  walk,  distant  two  or  three  miles,  to  cut 
some  bread-stuffs ;  not  returning  that  night,  he  the 
next  morning  sent  his  son-in-law  to  look  after  the 
slave.  He  not  returning,  the  following  morning  a 
number  of  the  inhabitants  proceeded  to  the  plantain 
walk,  where  they  found  the  dead  bodies  of  the  two 
men,  and  the  snake  which  had  caused  their  death 
lying  near  them." 

Some  hurricanes  occasionally  visit  this  coast, 
which  destroy  their  crops  of  bread-stuffs,  and  cause 
temporary  famine  in  certain  districts. 

While  cruising  along  the  coast  some  months 
after  the  occurrence  of  one  of  these  tornadoes,  I 
landed  within  a  few  miles  of  the  residence  of  Ad 
miral  Hammer,  in  company  with  a  man  named  Ben 
jamin  Downs,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
admiral.  We  proceeded  to  his  house  and  asked  for 

something  to  eat,  when  he  told  us  his  bread-stuffs 
5* 


106  DUNHAM'S 

had  all  been  destroyed  by  a  gale  of  wind,  and  ad 
dressed  Downs  as  follows  :  "  Ben  Downs,  don't  you 
think  the  Almighty  little  bit  too  bad  this  time?" 
"  Why,  and  what  do  you  mean  ?"  asked  Downs. 
The  admiral  replied,  "He  send  too  much  strong 
breeze  and  broke  all  the  plantain  walk." 

The  country  is  infested  with  numerous  insects, 
&c.  such  as  mosquittoes,  sand-flies,  fire-ants,  chigoes, 
centipedes,  scorpions,  cock-roaches,  and  an  immense 
number  of  aljigators.  The  ground  in  many  places  is 
overrun  with  large  ants,  called  the  travelling  army, 
which  destroy  whole  fields  of  vegetation.  It  is  also 
infested  by  insects  called  dog-fleas,  which  are  a 
great  annoyance  at  night ;  and  the  sea- coast,  abounds 
with  sharks  of  a  very  large  size. 

To  give  the  reader  a  short  description  of  the 
country  and  inhabitants  I  shall  quote  from  a  late 
writer.  "  The  Musquittoes  are  a  small  nation  ot 
Indians,  never  conquered  by  the  Spaniards,  the  coun 
try  being  so  situated  as  to  render  any  attempts 
against  them  impracticable  ;  for  they  are  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  land,  by  morasses  or  impassable 
mountains,  and  by  sea  with  shoals  and  rocks ;  be 
sides,  they  have  such  an  implacable  hatred  to  the 
Spaniards,  for  inhumanity  and  cruelty  in  destroying 
many  millions  of  their  neighbors,  that  they  would 
never  have  any  correspondence  with  them ;  for 
whenever  they  sent  any  missionaries  or  other  agents 
amongst  them,  they  hid  them,  that  is,  put  them  to 
death.  The  king  has  little  more  than  the  title,  un- 


VOYAGES.  107 

less  the  nation  is  at  war ;  having  no  revenues,  and 
few  prerogatives ;  being  obliged  in  time  of  peace  to 
fish  and  fowl  for  the  support  of  himself  and  family. 
He  hath  indeed  some  distinction  shown  him,  and 
now  and  then  presents  made  him  by  the  governor  of 
Jamaica,  and  the  English  traders,  who  frequently 
touch  and  trade  there." 

I  occupied  my  time  in  selling  goods  and  pur 
chasing  shell,  skins,  gums,  &c.  and  during  my  leisure 
hours  partook  of  the  sports  of  the  Indians,  that  I 
might  pass  away  the  time  as  agreeably  as  my  situa 
tion  would  admit  of,  not  knowing  how  I  could  get 
away  from  the  country,  as  the  English  traders  [the 
only  people  who  visited  the  Musquittoes]  had  agreed 
never  to  carry  me  to  Jamaica,  or  take  any  letters 
that  would  assist  me  to  get  to  my  family,  fearing  I 
should  become  a  rival  in  the  trade,  and  be  the  means 
of  introducing  others  into  it. 

About  the  first  of  November  a  Captain  Hum 
phreys,  one  of  the  Jamaica  traders,  arrived  in  the 
harbor,  and  came  on  shore  and  took  supper  with  me. 
The  Indian  ladies  got  up  a  ball  on  the  occasion.  Af 
ter  dancing  was  over,  Captain  H.  and  myself  took 
a  walk  together.  During  which  he  said  to  me, 
"  Dunham,  your  case  is  a  hard  one,  the  old  English 
traders  on  this  coast,  myself  among  them,  have 
agreed  never  to  carry  you  to  Jamaica,  or  to  assist 
you  to  get  away  from  here,  or  take  any  letters  from 
you  to  Jamaica  or  elsewhere,  notwithstanding  we 
consider  you  a  very  clever  fellow ;  but  if  we  assist 


108  DUNHAM'S 

you  to  get  home,  you  will  lead*  down  twenty  Yan 
kee  traders  and  destroy  our  business  with  the  In 
dians."  Captain  H.  appeared  to  possess  the  feelings 
that  one  seaman  should  have  for  another,  and  con 
tinued,  "  Dunham,  if  you  can  get  ready  to  go  with 
me  in  two  days  I  will  carry  you  to  Jamaica ;  but  I 
will  not  carry  your  shell,  or  any  other  articles  you 
have  bought  of  the  Indians."  I  expressed  my  sincere 
thanks  for  his  kind  offer,  but  told  him  I  did  not  wish 
to  be  taken  there  for  nothing ;  that  I  had  money,  and 
was  willing  to  give  him  one  hundred  dollars  for  my 
passage.  I  informed  him  that  I  had  kept  one  half 
barrel  of  pork  and  a  case  of  gin  hid  away  for  some 
months,  intending  to  purchase  a  large  canoe  with 
them  to  carry  me  to  the  Bay  of  Honduras,  if  no  other 
conveyance  offered.  He  refused  to  accept  any  com 
pensation  whatever  for  my  passage. 

The  next  day  I  packed  up  my  shell,  amounting 
to  five  hundred  and  seventy-two  pounds,  and  the 
remnants  of  my  goods,  and  sent  them  thirty  miles  up 
the  river  Waa-waa-han  to  be  left  with  my  worthy 
old  French  friend,  Mr.  Ellis.  I  then  called  on  my 
landlord  for  his  bill  for  the  rent  of  my  store,  and 
board  for  two  or  three  months.  He  laughed  at  my 
being  so  simple  as  to  suppose  he  would  charge  any 
thing  for  it,  and  peremptorily  refused  ;  but  as  he  was 
indebted  to  me  for  goods,  I  deducted  forty  dollars 
from  his  account,  which  he  reluctantly  accepted. 
The  vessel  being  now  ready  for  sea,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  village  all  escorted  me  to  the  beach,  bringing 


VOYAGES.  109 

me  many  presents  of  fruits,  and  shaking  me  by  the 
hand,  with  downcast  eyes  bade  me  a  hearty  farewell. 
Captain  H.  had  to  proceed  to  the  coast  of  St.  Bias 
to  settle  with  his  traders,  having  left  goods  with 
three  or  four  Indians,  at  different  settlements,  to  sell 
for  him.  This  circuitous  route  made  the  distance  to 
Jamaica  five  or  six  hundred  miles  further,  stopping 
at  a  number  of  places  on  the  Musquitto  Shore, 
viz :  St.  John's  River,  Boco  Toro  and  Crekimala, 
where  we  took  on  board  a  quantity  of  sarsaparilla 
and  sundry  other  articles,  and  then  proceeded  to  St. 
Bias.  On  our  arrival  there  we  were  visited  by  a 
large  number  of  Indians  in  canoes,  who  commenced 
trading  with  us.  One  of  them  acting  as  clerk  took 
charge  of  the  goods  and  dealt  them  out  to  the  others 
by  fathoming  them  off  with  his  arms,  this  being  their 
custom  of  measuring  cloth.  The  goods  being  mostly 
staple  articles,  the  prices  there  seldom  varied.  Shell 
had  a  fixed  price  of  one  dollar  per  pound.  The  cap 
tain  paid  little  attention  to  the  trade.  A  small  pump 
was  left  in  a  hogshead  of  rum,  from  which  the  clerk 
filled  the  bottle  and  passed  it  round  as  often  as  it 
was  called  for,  and  every  few  hours  he  would  call 
the  captain  and  give  him  a  handful  of  money,  say 
ing,  "  Here  is  so  much,"  which  he  would  put  in  his 
pocket,  neither  of  them  counting  it,  nor  would  the 
captain  ask  anything  about  the  trade.  Often  the 
captain  and  myself  took  a  canoe  and  went  off  fish 
ing,  leaving  fifty  or  sixty  Indians  on  board  dealing 
with  the  clerk,  who  had  the  sole  control  of  the  trade. 


110  DUNHAM'S 

When  we  had  finished  trading  at  one  place  the 
Indians  piloted  us  to  another  harbor  on  the  coast, 
where  we  proceeded  in  the  same  manner.  We  sailed 
along  the  coast  more  than  one  hundred  miles,  touch 
ing  and  trading  at-the  different  towns.  Two  of  the 
natives  took  passage  with  us  for  Jamaica,  where  we 
arrived  about  the  first  of  December.  Here  I  tasted 
bread  for  the  first  time  in  eight  months,  having  lived 
on  Indian  bread-stuffs  during  that  time,  and  seldom 
thinking  of  any  other,  being  well  satisfied  with  that 
food.  On  our  arrival  at  Montego  Bay  the  captain 
took  me  home  to  his  house,  and  treated  me  very 
politely. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  in  Jamaica  I  found  a  brig 
bound  to  Baltimore,  and  took  passage  in  her ;  I  ar 
rived  there  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-five  days,  and 
sailed  for  New- York,  where  I  had  an  interview  with 
my  owners,  and  obtained  a  furlough  from  them  for  a 
few  days,  that  I  might  visit  my  family  ;  after  which 
I  returned  to  New- York  and  proceeded  back  to  the 
Musquitto  Shore. 


VOYAGES.  Ill 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Sloop   Governor  Tompkins. 

In  February,  1817,  I  took  charge  of  the  Sloop 
Governor  Tompkins,  of  thirty-four  tons,  belonging 
to  the  same  owners  that  the  Biddle  did  ;  being  pro 
moted  two  tons  in  the  size  of  the  vessel.  I  took  on 
board  an  assorted  cargo,  bound  for  Old  Providence, 
Corn  Island,  and  Musquitto  Shore.  I  took  with  me 
a  young  man  named  Samuel  B.  Warner,  to  serve  as 
clerk  of  our  store  at  Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  where  I  in 
tended  to  resume  the  trade  I  had  left.  My  crew  con 
sisted  of  a  mate,  two  seamen,  and  a  cook.  In  the 
Gulf-stream  we  encountered  a  violent  gale  of  wind, 
shipped  a  heavy  sea,  which  swept  our  deck  and 
washed  the  cook  overboard,  and  I  never  saw  him 
again.  I  made  a  passage  of  seventeen  days  to  Old 
Providence,  wrhere  I  met  with  a  heavy  sale  of  goods ; 
from  thence  I  went  to  Corn  Island,  and  to  Pearl 
Key  Lagoon.  There  I  hired  part  of  an  Indian  house, 
landed  some  goods,  and  Mr.  Warner  opened  a  store. 
From  thence  I  sailed  for  Cape  Gracios  a  Dios,  and 
visited  the  king,  who  entertained  me  with  a  ball  and 
other  amusements.  I  then  proceeded  back  to  the 
Lagoon,  touching  and  trading  at  Sandy  Bay,  where 
I  was  visited  by  a  large  number  of  Indians,  who 
brought  on  board  tortoise-shell,  tiger-skins,  deer- 


112  DUNHAM'S 

skins,  India  rubber,  gum  copal,  &c.  which  I  bought 
in  exchange  for  goods.  The  chiefs  and  their  subjects 
got  very  drunk  on  the  occasion,  and  as  it  was  diffi 
cult  to  suppress  the  quarrels  that  arose  among  them, 
I  was  obliged  to  get  my  vessel  under  weigh  to  rid 
myself  of  them.  I  returned  to  the  Lagoon,  where 
Mr.  Warner  had  opened  a  very  good  trade  with 
the  Indians,  and  appeared  well  pleased  with  the 
country. 

I  hired  three  Indians  to  man  my  canoe,  and  took 
a  trip  up  the  river  Waa-waa-han,  to  visit  my  old 
friend  Mr.  Ellis,  with  whom  I  had  left  the  tortoise- 
shell  and  other  articles  previous  to  my  embarking 
with  Captain  Humphreys  for  Jamaica.  On  my  pas 
sage  up  the  river  I  called  on  Mr.  Gough,  an  English 
man,  whom  I  have  spoken  of  in  a  former  chapter ;  I 
remained  but  a  few  hours  with  him,  having  but  lit 
tle  leisure  to  view  his  plantation,  which  had  the 
appearance  of  a  good  soil,  but  lacked  cultivation. 
When  I  arrived  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Ellis  I  was  re 
ceived  with  a  hearty  welcome,  and  treated  with  the 
best  the  country  afforded.  After  taking  some  refresh 
ments  we  took  a  walk  over  his  grounds,  which 
were  well  cultivated,  having  a  beautiful  orange 
walk,  with  two  rows  of  trees  set  out  in  straight  lines 
for  nearly  half  a  mile,  forming  a  most  delightful 
ly  shaded  road.  I  purchased  two  or  three  tons  of 
coffee  from  him,  which  he  had  raised  on  his  place, 
and  kept  on  hand  for  want  of  purchasers,  the  Ja 
maica  traders  always  refusing  to  buy  it.  He  told 


VOYAGES.  113 

me  he  had  plenty  of  cattle  on  his  premises,  which 
could  be  made  very  useful  in  clearing  the  ground,  by 
breaking  them  in  to  work  with  ploughs.  I  told  him 
to  make  out  a  memorandum,  and  I  would  bring  him 
out  ploughs,  chains,  ox-yokes  and  such  other  artiples 
as  he  wanted.  He  gave  me  a  list  of  what  he  need 
ed,  which  I  furnished  him  on  the  next  voyage,  when 
he  broke  in  his  cattle,  cleared  up  new  lands,  and 
used  his  ploughs  with  very  good  success  for  many 
years  afterwards.  Mr.  Ellis  agreed  to  send  my  shell, 
goods,  and  coffee,  down  to  the  Lagoon  in  canoes, 
which  promise  he  punctually  performed.  I  remain 
ed  with  him  during  that  night.  In  the  morning,  soon 
after  I  arose,  I  heard  the  bellowing  of  a  cow  near 
the  house,  and  running  out  of  the  door  a  laughable 
scene  attracted  my  attention.  Mr.  Ellis  had  domes 
ticated  a  large  ring-tailed  monkey,  and  raised  a 
long  pole  near  the  house,  on  the  top  of  which  was 
put  a  box  for  the  monkey  to  sleep  in ;  having  fixed 
a  small  chain  around  his  neck,  with  the  end  fast  to 
the  pole,  jocko  was  furnished  sufficient  length  of 
chain  to  go  up  and  down  at  his  pleasure.  Mr.  Ellis 
kept  two  or  three  docile  milch  cows  about  his  pre 
mises,  and  one  of  them  having  ventured  near  the 
monkey's  pole,  he  ran  down  and  seized  the  end  of 
her  tail,  taking  a  couple  of  turns  round  the  pole 
and  holding  fast  to  the  end  of  her  switcher ;  the  poor 
cow  struggled  and  bellowed  to  get  her  liberty,  but 
jocko  held  on  until  his  master  appeared  with  a  cane, 
when  he  reluctantly  gave  up  his  sport. 


114  DUNHAM'S 

I  took  leave  of  my  old  friend  and  proceeded 
down  the  river.  The  weather  being  clear  and  warm, 
the  woods  and  banks  swarmed  with  macaws,  par 
rots,  bill-birds,  and  others  of  variegated  plumage.  An 
immense  number  of  monkeys,  chattering  and  jump 
ing  from  one  tree  to  another  with  great  rapidity, 
formed  a  most  pleasing  and  lively  scene ;  added  to 
which  was  the  fragrance  of  countless  flowers. 

I  arrived  at  the  Lagoon  that  evening.  The  next 
day  I  took  my  coffee,  shell,  &c.  on  board,  arranged 
my  business  with  Warner,  took  leave  of  my  Indian 
friends,  and  sailed  for  home. 

Nothing  very  material  happened  on  the  way 
except  contrary  winds,  which  prolonged  our  pas 
sage.  We  arrived  in  New- York  after  an  absence  of 
one  hundred  and  one  days  from  the  time  we  left 
that  city,  having  made  a  profitable  little  voyage, 
which  always  procures  a  captain  a  good  reception 
from  all  concerned  in  it.  I  then  returned  to  Cats- 
kill,  where  I  found  my  family  and  friends  all  well. 
Finding  the  Tompkins  too  small  and  uncomfortable, 
I  requested  the  owners  to  purchase  a  larger  craft. 
After  remaining  six  days  with  my  family,  I  received 
a  letter  from  them,  saying  they  had  exchanged  the 
Tompkins  for  a  more  commodious  vessel,  and  re 
questing  me  to  come  to  New- York  as  soon  as  cir 
cumstances  would  permit.  Two  days  after  the  re 
ceipt  of  the  letter  I  arrived  there. 


VOYAGES.  115 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Schooner  Price.— First  Voyage. 

About  the  last  of  May,  1817,  my  former  owners 
of  the  Biddle  and  Tompkins  purchased  the  Schooner 
Price,  built  at  Baltimore,  sixty-eight  tons  burden. 
On  my  last  two  voyages  I  found  all  the  harbors 
along  the  Spanish  Main  so  destructive  to  a  wood- 
bottomed  vessel,  that  in  a  few  months  it  would 
be  entirely  destroyed.  The  fresh  water  emptying 
into  the  sea  at  these  places  make  the  water  brack 
ish,  which  increases  the  quantity  of  worms.  The 
Price  being  iron  fastened,  obliged  us  to  cover  her 
bottom  with  zinc  instead  of  copper,  which  was  ac 
complished  in  a  few  days.  We  then  put  an  assorted 
cargo  on  board  suited  to  that  market. 

On  the  second  day  of  June  I  sailed  from  New- 
York,  bound  to  Old  Providence,  St.  Andrews,  Corn 
Island,  and  Musquitto  Shore.  Nothing  worthy  of 
notice  took  place  on  the  passage.  We  arrived  at 
Old  Providence  in  seventeen  days,  where  I  com 
menced  a  brisk  trade.  The  inhabitants  urgently  re 
quested  me  to  give  them  a  ball.  I  had  on  board  a 
drummer  and  a  cook  who  played  the  flute ;  they 
had  a  fiddler  and  triangle  player  on  shore.  I  com 
plied  with  their  request,  they  agreeing  to  make  all 
the  necessary  arrangements,  as  my  time  was  occu- 


116  DUNHAM'S 

pied  in  selling  goods,  (such  as  calicoes,  jackonets, 
muslins,  shoes,  ribbons,  jewelry,  cologne  water,  po 
matum,  beads,  liquors,  &c.)  having  an  invoice  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  different  articles  to  be  sold  at  re 
tail.  During  the  day  the  managers  of  the  ball  came 
on  board,  and  I  furnished  them  with  coffee,  sugar, 
crackers,  cheese,  &c.  Soon  after  sunset  I  went  on 
shore,  where  I  found  a  motley  group  of  English, 
Spanish,  and  Curracoa  natives  of  all  colors.  I  was  in 
troduced  to  a  young  white  lady  as  a  partner,  who  had 
been  educated  in  Jamaica,  and  understood  the  rules 
of  country  dances.  According  to  the  custom  of  the 
place,  the  person  giving  a  ball  is  expected  to  lead 
the  figure  during  the  whole  night.  I  conformed  to 
the  fashion  of  course.  On  examining  the  room,  I 
soon  found  it  had  no  floor,  but  being  an  old  sailor, 
thought  I  could  beat  my  way,  which  I  accomplished 
in  as  gallant  a  manner  as  did  Lord  Nelson  when  he 
fought  through  the  combined  fleet. 

I  had  a  trunk  full  of  sheep  skin  morocco  ladies' 
shoes  on  .board,  which  cost  at  auction  thirty-one 
cents  per  pair,  I  sold  most  of  them  here  at  two  dol 
lars  per  pair ;  many  of  them  were  danced  out  in  one 
night.  I  sold  many  other  articles  at  about  the  same 
per  centage. 

By  the  custom  of  the  Island,  every  person  invited 
to  a  ball  must  give  one  in  return.  One  of  the  ladies 
who  attended  my  ball  gave  one  two  nights  after. 
Her  outlay  for  goods  bought  from  me  was  over  sixty 
dollars. 


VOYAGES.  117 

Two  or  three  days  after  the  second  ball  I  sailed 
for  St.  Andrews,  where  we  arrived  the  same  even 
ing.  Immediately  on  our  anchoring  a  large  number  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Island  came  on  board,  ours 
being  the  first  American  vessel  they  had  seen  there 
in  fourteen  years.    I  commenced  a  heavy  trade  with 
them.    This  Island  contains  three  times  the  popula 
tion   of   Old   Providence.    As   these   Islanders  had 
heard  that  I  gave  a  ball  at  Providence,  it  would 
not  do  to  refuse  them  one.    It  being  agreed  upon,  I 
told  them  to  appoint  their  own  managers,  and  then 
send  on  board  and  get  such  articles  as  they  required 
to  treat  their  company  with,  not  wishing  to  be  an 
noyed  until  they  were  ready ;  and  as  I  was  a  stran 
ger,  I  did  not  want  to  have  anything  to  do  with  giv 
ing  the  invitations.    At  the  appointed  hour  I  went 
on  shore,  a  horse  and  servant  were  waiting  to  con 
vey  me  to  the  ball-room,  where  I  found  a  polished 
English  lady,  who  was  to  act  as  my  partner,  and 
lead  the  figure  during  the  night,  which  I  was  com 
pelled  to  submit  to  until  the  ball  ended.    There  was 
a  floor  in  the  ball-room  here,  which  made  our  dancing 
less  laborious.  We  kept  it  up  briskly  until  12  o'clock, 
and  then  partook  of  some  refreshments.  We  then  re 
commenced  dancing,  and  kept  perseveringly  at  it 
until  sunrise  next  morning.     But  my  trouble  had 
just  commenced.    More  than  one  half  of  the  free  in 
habitants  were  colored,  whom  I  afterward  found  to 
be  my  best  customers,  none  of  whom  had  been  invited 
to  the  ball  except  an  old  man,  by  the  name  of  Bent, 


118  DUNHAM'S 

the  wealthiest  man  on  the  Island,  owning  about 
ninety  slaves,  whom  the  whites  dare  not  overlook. 
I  satisfied  the  colored  people  that  it  was  no  fault  of 
mine  that  they  had  not  received  an  invitation  to  my 
ball,  at  the  same  time  treating  them  with  the  greatest 
politeness,  inviting  them  on  board  to  partake  of  re 
freshments.  They,  in  order  to  be  revenged  on  their 
white  neighbors,  gave  a  ball  two  or  three  nights  af 
terward,  passing  a  resolution  that  no  white  man  ex 
cept  Captain  Dunham  should  be  invited. 

At  the  appointed  time  a  horse  and  waiter  were 
sent  to  convey  me  to  the  dance,  which  I  knew  it 
was  my  interest  to  attend.  On  arriving  at  the  place 
I  found  everything  in  good  order,  and  was  received 
with  the  most  facinating  flourishes  of  high  life,  and 
introduced  to  a  partner  three-fourths  white,  dressed 
in  silk.  I  was  called  upon  again  to  lead  the  figure  for 
the  night.  At  12  o'clock  partook  of  refreshments, 
and  retired  at  four  next  morning,  highly  delighted 
with  my  prowess  in  dancing. 

By  this  introduction  I  secured  all  the  trade  of  the 
colored  population,  and  retained  it  until  I  left,  which 
was  several  years  after  the  dance. 

We  next  sailed  for  Corn  Island,  having  parted 
with  all  the  inhabitants,  both  white  and  black,  on 
the  most  friendly  terms.  We  arrived  in  two  days, 
and  commenced  trade,  as  usual ;  we  procured  hogs, 
poultry,  and  fruits  in  abundance.  Our  trade  was  un 
expectedly  interrupted  by  a  gale  of  wind  which  part 
ed  my  largest  cable.  I  lost  the  anchor,  was  driven 


VOYAGES.  119 

over  a  reef  of  rocks,  broke  the  rudder,  and  found  my 
self  at  sea  in  a  gale,  which  lasted  about  three  days ; 
after  which  we  rigged  a  spar  to  act  as  a  substitute 
for  a  rudder,  by  which  means  we  regained  the  har 
bor.  There  we  repaired  the  damage,  and  sailed  for 
Pearl  Key  Lagoon,  where  I  found  Mr.  Warner  in 
good  health  and  spirits,  and  my  Indian  friends  over 
joyed  to  see  me.  I  landed  many  goods  here,  that  I 
might  get  at  my  assortment  and  recruit  our  store, 
and  sold  some  articles  to  the  inhabitants. 

We  then  sailed  for  Cape  Gracios  a  Dios.  On  our 
arrival,  the  king,  who  had  built  himself  a  new  house, 
came  on  board,  with  some  of  his  admirals  and  other 
great  men,  whom  I  treated  with  liquor  until  they 
were  all  badly  intoxicated.  I  bartered  some  goods 
in  exchange  for  shell,  skins,  gums,  &c.  and  proceeded 
down  along  the  coast  to  Bluefields,  touching  and 
trading  at  the  different  harbors,  and  then  returned  to 
the  Lagoon,  where  I  landed  the  remainder  of  my 
goods  at  our  store,  and  then  sailed  for  New-York. 
Nothing  material  happening  on  the  passage,  I  shall 
omit  a  description  of  it.  On  arriving  in  the  city  I 
was  well  received  by  my  owners  and  friends,  having 
made  a  prosperous  voyage.  After  discharging  my 
cargo,  I  visited  my  family  in  Catskill,  where  I  spent 
ten  days,  and  then  returned  to  New- York  to  prepare 
for  another  voyage. 


120  DUNHAM'S 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Schooner  Price.— Second  Voyage. 

Finding  our  trade  increasing,  my  owners  and  my 
self  thought  it  would  be  much  advanced  by  sending 
out  a  small  vessel  to  be  stationed  on  the  coast,  and 
employed  in  running  along  the  shore  selling  goods, 
and  collecting  return  cargoes  for  the  Price,  viz :  tor 
toise-shell,  hides,  skins,  gums,  sarsaparilla,  &c.  The 
owners  of  the  Price  then  purchased  a  small  sloop, 
called  the  Traverse,  of  near  nineteen  tons  burden, 
having  a  mast  fifty  feet  long.  We  sheathed  her  bot 
tom  with  zinc,  and  rigged  her  for  sea.  My  old  mate, 
Captain  N.  Soper,  volunteered  to  take  command 
of  her ;  a  man  from  Troy,  named  Thomas  Teft, 
shipped  as  mate,  and  a  man  from  Staten  Island  as 
seaman.  I  had  an  Indian  boy  who  was  bound  to  me 
as  an  apprentice,  who  volunteered  as  cook.  The 
Price  was  armed  with  a  six-pound  cannon,  well 
mounted,  and  the  Traverse  with  a  swivel.  We  soon 
got  our  cargoes  on  board,  and  insured  both  vessels. 
The  intention  was  to  keep  company  as  long  as  the 
weather  would  permit.  Both  were  placed  under  my 
control.  The  weather  being  very  cold,  and  our  little 
vessels  deeply  loaded,  a  heavy  sea  in  the  harbor  had 
coated  them  with  ice. 

On  the  nineteenth  day  of  February,  1818,  we  got 


VOYAGES.  121 

under  weigh,  the  wharves  being  lined  with  specta 
tors  to  see  a  vessel  of  eighteen  tons  commencing  a 
voyage  of  over  two  thousand  miles.  They  gave  us 
three  hearty  cheers,  which  we  answered  by  discharg 
ing  our  cannon.  A  fair  wind  carried  us  to  sea,  where 
we  kept  company  for  three  days,  when  a  violent  gale 
separated  us.  I  cruised  the  whole  of  next  day  in 
search  of  the  Traverse,  without  finding  her.  Think 
ing  it  useless,  I  resumed  my  course  and  proceeded  to 
the  Island  of  Old  Providence,  where  we  arrived  after 
a  passage  of  seventeen  days,  and  opened  my  trade 
as  usual.  The  Traverse  arrived  four  days  after,  hav 
ing  sprung  her  mast  near  the  deck. 

The  next  day  we  hauled  the  Traverse  along  side 
of  the  Price,  raised  her  masts  with  the  schooner's 
purchases,  sawed  off  the  broken  part,  about  five  feet, 
took  her  sails  on  shore  and  shortened  them  to  fit  the 
mast,  put  them  in  good  order  for  sea,  exchanged  part 
of  her  goods  and  gave  her  a  suitable  cargo  to  retail 
along  the  coast.  Two  or  three  days  after  I  gave  the 
captain  orders  to  proceed  to  the  Main  and  stop  to 
trade  at  sundry  ports,  named  in  his  instructions,  and 
from  thence  proceed  to  St.  Bias,  where  he  would 
meet  me  in  the  Price.  I  took  Henry  T.  Smith  with 
me  to  Lagoon,  to  act  as  clerk  in  our  store,  in  place 
of  Mr.  Warner,  who  wished  to  return  to  New- York. 
I  remained  here  two  or  three  days,  and  then  sailed 
for  the  Lagoon.  On  my  arrival  Mr.  Warner  was  in 
good  health,  and  much  pleased  to  find  himself  re 
leased  by  Mr.  Smith's  taking  his  place  as  clerk  in 

6 


122  DUNHAM'S 

the  store.  We  landed  the  most  of  our  heavy  goods, 
made  every  necessary  arrangement  for  business,  and 
giving  the  proper  directions,  I  proceeded  to  Blue- 
fields,  sold  a  few  goods,  cancelled  some  old  debts,  and 
procured  a  pilot  for  the  coast  of  St.  Bias,  for  which 
we  soon  after  sailed. 

I  obtained  information  at  Corn  Island,  at  the  La 
goon,  and  at  Bluefields,  of  the  English  traders  having 
heard  that  I  intended  to  extend  my  trade  to  that  coast. 
They  had  employed  an  agent  whom  they  had  sup 
plied  with  the  necessary  articles  of  trade,  and  told 
the  inhabitants  that  if  they  traded  with  that  Yankee 
captain  they  would  withdraw  from  them ;  and  also 
told  them  that  the  Yankee  captain  might  sell  them 
some  articles  a  little  cheaper  at  first,  but  that  he  was 
a  worthless  fellow,  and  could  not  continue  the  trade 
long,  when  they  would  be  left  destitute,  as  no  Eng 
lishman  would  supply  them.  The  English  traders 
urged  the  Indians  to  put  myself  and  crew  to  death, 
and  burn  our  vessel.  My  friends  who  gave  me 
the  information,  strongly  remonstrated  against  my 
going  to  St.  Bias,  saying  that  my  life  would  be 
sacrificed  in  so  doing.  In  a  conversation  afterwards 
with  one  of  the  English  traders,  I  spoke  of  the  cold 
blooded  murder  they  wished  the  St.  Bias  Indians  to 
be  guilty  off,  which  he  denied,  but  admitted  that 
they  told  the  Indians  to  destroy  our  goods. 

However  the  minds  of  the  Indians  might  have 
been  operated  upon  at  the  time  of  hearing  their  mur 
derous  proposals,  they  made  no  attempt  to  harm  me. 


PQ 


p 

fl 

3 


VOYAGES.  123 

On  our  arrival  on  the  coast  of  St.  Bias,  not  know 
ing  the  channel,  we  came  to  anchor  near  an  island, 
where  we  discovered  a  number  of  canoes,  and  thirty 
or  forty  Indians  on  the  shore.  Being  short  of  water, 
I  concluded  to  take  a  small  water-keg  into  my  canoe 
and  land  among  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  pro 
curing  some,  and  also  to  get  a  pilot,  if  possible,  to 
take  the  vessel  into  the  harbor.  Before  leaving  the 
vessel  I  told  the  mate  that  the  Indians  had  such  an 
inveterate  hatred  against  the  Spaniards,  that  if  any  of 
their  vessels  were  cast  away  on  this  coast  they  would 
massacre  every  person  on  board  ;  that  I  thought  they 
had  never  seen  the  American  flag,  and  bade  him 
keep  a  good  look-out  with  the  spy-glass,  and  not  hoist 
our  colors  until  he  saw  me  safe  among  the  Indians, 
fearing  they  might  suppose  it  to  be  Spanish,  or  some 
enemy's  flag.  My  mulatto  pilot  and  sailor,  and  my 
self,  then  proceeded  toward  the  island  where  we  had 
seen  the  Indians.  When  within  about  one  hundred 
rods  of  the  shore  there  were  about  thirty  bows  and 
arrows  pointed  towards  us.  On  looking  back  to  the 
vessel  I  saw  the  colors  hoisted  and  streaming  with 
the  wind.  It  being  too  late  to  retreat,  and  perceiv 
ing  that  the  water  was  only  about  two  feet  deep,  I 
jumped  overboard,  and  told  my  men  to  follow ;  hay 
ing  no  other  clothes  on  save  our  shirts  and  panta 
loons,  the  water  was  not  particularly  annoying.  I 
took  my  hat  in  my  hand  and  extended  my  arms  full 
length,  showing  thereby  that  there  were  no  weapons 
about  me.  As  I  approached  the  shore  they  all  laid 


124  DUNHAM'S 

down  their  bows  and  arrows  and  met  us  with  a 
hearty  welcome.  The  Indian  arrows  are  made  of 
strong  reed,  four  or  five  feet  long,  pointed  with  nails 
or  spikes  about  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  in  length, 
which  they  sharpen  with  files  or  cold  chissels.  With 
these  they  kill  wild  beasts,  fowls  and  fish.  When 
shot  into  the  water  the  reed  is  so  buoyant  that  the 
light  end  swims  about  one  foot  above  the  surface. 
Previous  to  my  departure  from  the  Price,  my 
Mate  took  a  scissors,  a  knife,  and  some  other  ar 
ticles  out  of  the  goods  belonging  to  the  cargo,  and 
left  them  lying  carelessly  about  the  vessel.  I  re 
quested  him  to  put  them  back  into  the  pack 
ages,  together  with  any  articles  he  might  use  ;  but 
he  told  me  very  abruptly  that  he  purchased  them  in 
New- York.  Some  angry  words  passed  between  us. 
As  he  was  an  intemperate,  bad  dispositioned  man,  I 
had  reason  to  suppose  that  he  hoisted  the  colors  for 
the  purpose  of  revenging  himself  on  me ;  thinking, 
doubtless,  that  the  Indians  would  murder  me,  though 
he  excused  himself  by  saying  he  thought  I  had  land 
ed  before  he  hoisted  them. 


VOYAGES.  123 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

St.  Bias  has  no  king,  but  is  a  kind  of  Patriarchal 
government,  being  ruled  by  the  old  men  and  the 
sookerman  of  the  Island,  whose  laws  are  obeyed  in 
the  strictest  manner.  The  sookerman  acts  as  phy 
sician,  and  also  foretells  future  events.  Theft  or 
adultery  is  seldom  known  in  that  country.  The  civi 
lized  world  talk  of  liberty,but  these  savages  alone 
truly  enjoy  it.  They  pay  no  tithes  or  taxes,  require 
no  locks  to  protect  themselves  from  thieves,  have 
neither  taverns  nor  boarding  houses,  every  traveller 
being  made  welcome  at  whatever  house  he  may 
happen  to  stop.  There  he  will  receive  such  enter 
tainment  and  fare  as  is  provided  for  the  family.  Their 
hospitality  is  the  same,  whether  he  remains  a  day,  a 
month,  or  longer.  I  never  heard  of  but  one  woman 
of  that  tribe  who  had  issue  by  a  white  man.  The 
father  of  the  child  was  a  captain  of  a  Jamaica  trad 
ing  vessel.  When  the  Indians  discovered  her  situa 
tion,  she  was  separated  from  the  tribe,  placed  in  a 
house  built  for  her  in  the  woods,  entirely  deprived  of 
all  kind  of  intercourse  with  them ;  being  considered 
as  an  outcast.  When  the  child  was  three  or  four 
years  of  age  it  was  put  on  board  of  a  Jamaica  ves 
sel  and  banished  from  the  country. 

In  describing  my  next  voyage  I  shall  narrate  man} 


126  DUNHAM'S 

of  the  customs  and  manners  of  this  region.  The 
Indians  brought  their  canoes  alongside  of  our  vessel 
and  piloted  us  safely  into  the  harbor,  called  Little 
Cordee,  where  we  found  good  anchorage ;  we  were 
immediately  visited  by  some  thirty  or  forty  canoes. 
One  of  the  Indians  asked  the  privilege  of  trading  for 
me.  I  told  him  he  might  if  he  got  permission  from 
the  old  men  and  sookermen,  as  we  had  not  yet  their 
leave  so  to  do.  He  paddled  to  the  shore,  and  return 
ed  in  a  short  time  with  three  old  men  and  a  sooker- 
man,  from  whom  we  received  the  licence  which  we 
desired 

I  gave  them  plenty  to  eat  and  drink ;  they  in  re 
turn  invited  me  on  shore,  where  I  wras  well  enter 
tained.  My  Indian  trader  then  commenced  the  busi 
ness  for  me  by  fathoming  off  cloth,  many  articles  of 
staple  goods,  such  as  shirting,  check,  powder  and 
shot,  &c.  all  of  which  had  been  sold  at  one  uniform 
price  for  many  years.  The  Indians  also  had  always 
received  one  dollar  per  pound  for  tortoise-shell. 
When  any  goods  differed  from  such  as  the  English 
traders  had  sold  them,  my  Indian  agent  would  as 
certain  the  price  from  me  and  proceed  in  his  usual 
way  in  bartering  and  selling.  It  was  entirely  unne 
cessary  for  me  to  trouble  myself  about  his  bargains. 
He  would  come  to  me  with  his  hands  full  of  silver 
change,  saying,  here  captain,  is  so  much  money,  and 
without  further  remark  would  again  turn  to  his  busi 
ness  of  salesman. 

After  remaining  three  or  four  days,  my  clerk  ask- 


VOYAGES.  127 

ed  me  if  he  might  be  my  trader  during  the  season 
of  taking  turtle,  which  lasted  four  or  five  months. 
His  price  was  ten  pounds  Jamaica  currency,  about 
thirty  dollars.  This  being  pretty  reasonable,  I  an 
swered  him  in  the  affirmative,  telling  him  to  select 
such  goods  as  he  wished  for  his  trade,  I  at  the  same 
time  taking  an  account  of  them,  although  I  dared  not 
let  him  know  that  I  had  done  so.  I  furnished  him 
with  the  means  of  preserving  his  goods  from  the  rain, 
supplied  him  with  steelyards,  and  every  article  neces 
sary  for  the  trade  on  that  coast.  The  goods  amount 
ed  to  about  six  hundred  dollars.  He  then  volunteer 
ed  to  pilot  us  along  the  coast  free  of  expense,  except 
his  board  and  liquor. 

We  at  length  got  under  weigh,  having  about 
twenty  canoes  in  tow,  proceeded  a  few  miles  and 
came  too  at  night  under  the  lea  of  an  island.  In  the 
morning  we  started  again,  and  arrived  at  the  River 
Caledonia ;  here  we  obtained  permission  to  trade, 
the  inhabitants  giving  us  a  hearty  welcome.  After 
remaining  here  two  or  three  days  we  sailed  for  the 
River  Mona,  opening  our  trade  immediately  on  our 
arrival,  having  obtained  such  license  from  the  pro 
per  authorities,  remained  but  a  few  days,  and  sailed 
for  the  River  De  Ablo,  or  River  Devil.  Here  I  en 
gaged  an  Indian  named  Billy,  who  had  sailed  with 
Captain  Humphrey,  an  English  trader,  some  two 
years  before.  Billy  was  much  pleased  to  see  me,  and 
immediately  commenced  trading  in  my  service,  upon 
the  same  terms  as  those  on  which  I  had  engaged  the 


128  DUNHAM'S 

former  Indian,  Campbell ;  he  selected  his  goods  and 
took  about  the  same  quantity  as  Campbell  had,  and 
was  fitted  out  much  in  the  same  manner,  having 
everything  necessary  to  carry  on  the  trade  during 
the  season.  After  remaining  here  three  or  four  days, 
we  sailed  back  to  the  River  Cordee,  where  I  had  or 
dered  Captain  Soper  to  meet  me  with  his  sloop. 

I  remained  at  Cordee  about  two  weeks,  waiting 
for  the  appearance  of  the  Vessel.  On  her  arrival  we 
took  out  all  the  cargo  she  had  collected  along  the 
coast,  and  put  it  on  board  the  Price,  and  took  what 
was  left  on  board  the  Price  and  put  it  on  board  the 
Traverse,  and,  according  to  my  letter  of  instruction, 
gave  Captain  Soper  command  of  the  Price,  with 
directions  to  proceed  to  New- York;  he  took  Mr. 
Warner  with  him.  On  taking  charge  of  the .  Tra 
verse  myself,  I  retained  Mr.  Tefts,  my  Indian  ap 
prentice  boy,  also  an  Indian  lad  who  was  one  of  the 
Musquitto  king's  brothers  with  me,  and  one  of  the 
St.  Bias  Indians,  who  acted  as  seaman.  The  schooner 
soon  sailed  for  New- York,  and  we  for  Corn  Island, 
where  we  arrived  in  four  days.  After  touching  at 
Corn  Island,  we  sailed  from  thence  to  Cape  Gracios 
a  Dios,  where  we  were  visited  by  the  king,  who  in 
vited  us  to  his  house,  which  I  accepted  of.  Remain 
ing  here  some  days,  my  little  sloop  was  overloaded 
with  Indians,  eating  and  drinking,  the  king  being 
constantly  intoxicated.  He  gave  me  directions  not 
to  trust  any  Indian  on  his  account  without  a  written 
order  from  him.  He  came  on  board  one  day  and 


VOYAGES.  129 

asked  me  for  the  amount  of  his  account,  which  was 
near  one  hundred  dollars.  He  examined  it  silently, 
then  ordered  his  men  into  his  canoe  and  abruptly 
left  the  vessel.  I  felt  somewhat  surprised  at  his 
leaving  in  this  manner  without  an  explanation. 

In  the  afternoon  some  Indians  came  on  board 
who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  bringing  the  king's 
verbal  orders  for  goods,  and  said  the  king  had  sent 
them  to  get  a  ten  gallon  keg  of  rum  for  him ;  not 
wishing  to  offend  him,  I  asked  the  Indians  where 
he,  the  king,  was,  they  replied,  "We  must  paddle 
up  the  river  a  little  bit,  and  then  ride  horse  a  little 
bit."  Determined  to  know  if  there  was  any  fraud 
in  the  verbal  order,  I  started  with  the  Indians  to  see 
the  king. 

We  paddled  up  the  river  about  four  or  five  miles, 
when  we  landed.  A  horse  was  brought  for  each 
man ;  our  leader  mounted,  taking  his  ten  gallon  keg 
up  before  him ;  each  was  supplied  with  a  bunch  of 
plantain  leaves  for  a  saddle.  The  night  being  dark, 
and  the  rain  falling  in  torrents,  we  groped  our  way 
through  thick  woods,  my  horse  acting  as  my  guide. 
I  kept  my  hand  extended  before  my  face  to  protect 
my  eyes  from  the  limbs  of  the  trees  for  some  dis 
tance,  when  we  arrived  at  a  small  creek  ;  we  dis 
mounted  and  crossed  over  in  a  canoe,  the  Indians 
swimming  their  horses  across.  Being  mounted  again 
we  rode  about  three  miles  further  through  a  level 
prairie  land.  The  foot-path  being  covered  with  water 
about  four  inches  deep,  and  the  rain  falling  inces- 


130  DUNHAM'S 

santly.  At  length  we  arrived  at  the  king's  house,  his 
majesty  not  having  a  dry  thread  of  clothes  about 
him.  On  entering  I  found  an  Indian  by  the  name  of 
Thompson,  an  old  acquaintance,  acting  as  door 
keeper,  who  conducted  me  into  the  house  and  pre 
sented  me  with  a  hammock ;  and  being  very  much 
fatigued,  begged  him  not  to  tell  the  king  that  I  had 
arrived.  He  promised  he  would  not.  Soon  after  I 
got  in  my  hammock,  the  king,  who  lay  in  an  adjoin 
ing  room,  called  for  a  drink  of  water,  which  was 
brought.  The  servant  at  the  same  time  telling  him 
that  the  American  captain  had  arrived  (that  being 
the  name  by  which  I  was  known  on  the  Indian  coast.) 
He  immediately  arose,  told  his  servants,  called  quar 
ter-masters,  to  bring  the  women  for  a  dance.  To 
please  him  I  had  to  put  on  an  Indian  dress,  have  my 
face  painted,  and  my  head  ornamented  with  feath- 
es.  The  king  took  the  lead  in  the  performances, 
which  lasted  until  morning ;  he  ordered  a  bullock  to 
be  killed  for  breakfast,  which  made  a  very  good 
repast,  after  which  I  retired,  much  fatigued,  to  a 
hammock,  where  a  sound  sleep  soon  refreshed  me. 
The  king  retired  to  rest,  slept  until  dark,  when, 
springing  up  suddenly,  he  ordered  his  quarter-mas 
ters  to  bring  the  horses.  I  remonstrated  with  him, 
saying,  "  For  pity  sake,  king,  do  not  take  me  through 
that  wilderness  this  night."  Rubbing  his  eyes,  he 
declared,  "  It  is  not  night,  but  morning."  After  some 
time,  being  convinced  of  his  mistake,  he  ordered 
the  quarter-masters  to  collect  the  women  again  for 


VOYAGES.  131 

another  dance,  which  was  kept  up  until  1 1  o'clock 
that  night,  when  I  begged  permission  to  retire. 

Next  morning  the  king  apologized  to  me  by  say 
ing,  since  he  had  detained  me  so  long,  I  should  be 
remunerated  with  some  tortoise-shell,  for  "  I  know," 
said  he,  "  you  would  willingly  stop  any  where,  two 
or  three  days,  if  you  could  get  a  few  pounds  of  tor 
toise-shell."  Our  horses  were  soon  brought,  rigged  as 
usual,  with  a  bunch  of  plantain  leaves  for  a  saddle, 
and  a  bridle  made  of  bark.  The  king  mounted,  one 
of  his  queens  being  placed  behind  him  on  the  same 
horse ;  the  gristle  of  his  horse's  ears  being  removed, 
caused  them  to  lap  down  on  his  head  much  like  a 
long-eared  hog.  I  mounted  the  other.  The  mud  and 
water  was  at  least  four  inches  deep  on  the  road,  be 
ing  the  rainy  season.  We  proceeded  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  when  the  king  dismounted,  and  getting  up 
behind  me,  called  to  his  waiters  to  get  him  a  large 
stick,  which  he  applied  to  my  poor  old  horse's  flank 
without  mercy ;  off  we  went  in  a  smart  gallop,  the 
mud  and  water  flying  in  every  direction.  Having 
proceeded  about  a  mile  we  came  to  a  small  lane 
leading  from  the  main  road,  which  we  were  travel 
ing,  along  which  were  three  small  houses  to  be  seen. 
The  king  halted,  saying  to  me,  "  Go  up  here  and  I 
will  get  you  some  shell."  I  rode  with  the  king  to  the 
front  of  the  house,  where  a  young  Indian  girl,  appa 
rently  eighteen  years  of  age,  stood  near  the  door. 
The  king  addressing  me,  asked  if  I  did  not  think  her 
handsome.  My  answer,  of  course,  was  in  the  affir- 


132  DUNHAM'S 

mative.  The  king  then  commanded  his  quarter-mas 
ters  to  catch  her  and  throw  her  on  behind  me.  The 
girl  having  an  old  dress  on,  ran  into  the  house  and 
returned  with  a  clean  one,  the  quarter-masters  then 
lifted  her  on  behind  me  astride  the  horse.  The  king 
kept  in  the  rear  to  drive  my  horse  into  a  canter,  the 
mud  and  water  flying  into  our  eyes  at  such  a  rate 
that  I  could  hardly  keep  the  road.  When  we  came 
to  the  creek  the  horses  swam  across,  while  the  king, 
the  two  women,  and  myself  crossed  in  a  canoe ;  the 
king  trying  to  upset  us,  which  I  prevented  almost  by 
main  force,  as  the  creek  swarmed  with  alligators. 
Having  passed  it,  we  travelled  through  woods  for 
two  or  three  miles,  when  we  embarked  in  a  canoe 
for  the  Cape.  Gladly  did  I  return  to  my  vessel.  The 
king,  not  unmindful  of  his  promise  to  make  me  some 
remuneration  for  my  detention,  sold  me  some  thirty 
or  forty  pounds  of  shell,  which  he  owed  to  an  Eng 
lish  trader. 

There  was  at  the  time  two  English  trading  ves 
sels  lying  in  the  harbor.  I  had  one  passenger  on 
board,  belonging  to  Corn  Island.  One  day  the  Eng 
lish  captains,  my  passengers,  and  myself,  being  over 
taken  by  a  rain  storm  on  shore,  took  shelter  under  an 
old  woman's  roof,  where  she  was  engaged  in  frying 
fish  for  her  dinner.  Her  house  was  built  like  many 
houses  in  that  country,  simply  of  a  thatched  roof, 
supported  by  crotches,  having  no  sides.  As  we  were 
assembled  here,  the  notion  got  into  our  heads  to  try 
the  old  lady's  temper  and  placing  ourselves  at  the 


two 


c8 

d 

Q 

3 
"B 


VOYAGES.  133 

four  corners  of  her  domicile,  clapped  our  shoulders 
under  the  roof  and  bore  it  off,  leaving  the  poor  old 
woman  frying  her  fish  in  the  rain,  which  soon  put 
out  her  fire,  while  we  received  a  volley  of  curses 
for  our  sport.  We,  however,  returned  it  to  its  pro 
per  place,  breaking  the  poor  old  creature's  crockery 
in  so  doing,  which  was  all  she  possessed.  We  in 
vited  her  on  board  our  vessels  the  next  day,  telling 
her  we  would  make  good  her  loss ;  nor  were  we  un 
mindful  of  our  promise  when  she  made  her  appear 
ance.  We  supplied  her  with  plates,  cups,  saucers, 
knives,  forks,  &c.  so  that  her  house  was  better  fur 
nished  with  these  articles  than  any  in  the  town.  We 
also  threw  in  a  bottle  of  rum. to  make  the  affair  per 
fectly  satisfactory  to  her. 

After  remaining  at  the  Cape  a  few  days,  where  I 
purchased  some  shell,  a  considerable  quantity  of 
India  rubber,  gum  copal,  deer  and  tiger-skins,  and 
deer-horns,  paying  for  them  in  goods,  we  proceeded 
to  Sandy  Bay,  where,  after  bartering  four  or  five 
days  for  such  articles  as  we  got  at  the  Cape,  we 
next  sailed  for  Great  River,  continuing  our  barter 
ing  for  the  same  articles,  and  then  started  for  Corn 
Island,  intending  to  take  in  provision  there,  it  being 
decidedly  the  best  place  for  that  purpose  in  the  coun 
try.  From  thence  we  sailed  for  the  Lagoon,  where 
having  landed  such  goods  as  were  needed  to  keep  a 
good  assortment  in  our  store,  we  proceeded  along 
the  coast,  touching  at  Bluefields,Martina,  Buckatora, 
and  some  other  small  ports,  and  then  returned  to 


134  DUNHAM'S 

Corn  Island.  Here  I  met  the  schooner  Price,  which 
had  arrived  two  days  previous,  direct  from  New- 
York,  with  a  new  supply  of  goods.  Captain  Soper 
informed  me  that  he  had  lost  one  man  overboard  on 
his  passage  home.  I  found  on  board  the  Price  a  man 
named  Moies,  who  had  some  interest  in  the  cargo. 
I  gave  the  command  of  the  sloop  to  Mr.  Tefts,  and 
took  charge  of  the  schooner  again.  I  supplied  Cap 
tain  Tefts  with  a  new  assortment  of  goods,  and  or 
dered  him  to  proceed  along  the  Musquitto  coast  and 
procure  all  the  return  cargo  he  could,  and  from 
thence  to  St.  Bias,  where  he  could  meet  me  in  the 
Price.  I  proceeded  with  the  Price  direct  to  St.  Bias, 
where  I  repainted  her.  Here  Mr.  Morse  was  taken 
sick  and  died,  and  we  buried  him  on  an  uninhabited 
island,  and  then  sailed  for  the  harbor  of  Cordee, 
where  I  found  my  Indian  trader,  Campbell,  who 
came  on  board  and  brought  the  returns  for  the  goods 
I  had  left  with  him  to  sell.  He  brought  on  board  a 
quantity  of  shell,  a  few  bags  of  cocoa,  a  purse  of 
money,  and  the  remnants  of  the  goods,  and  told  me 
he  had  three  or  four  canoe  loads  of  fustic,  laying  on 
the  beach,  which  he  had  purchased  for  me.  He  laid 
the  shell,  cocoa,  return  goods,  and  the  purse  of  money 
down  on  the  deck,  telling  me  that  was  all  he  had. 
I  asked  him  if  he  had  taken  out  his  wages.  He 
said  he  had,  and  we  considered  all  accounts  between 
us  settled,  without  making  any  figures.  We  remain 
ed  here  two  or  three  days,  and  purchased  a  few 
thousand  cocoa-nuts,  and  then  sailed  for  the  River 


VOYAGES.  135 

De  Ablo,  where  I  met  my  other  trader,  Billy,  who 
came  on  board  with  his  returns,  which  being  the 
same  as  Campbell's,  I  settled  his  account  in  the 
same  manner,  with  one  exception.  I  asked  him  if 
he  had  taken  out  his  wages,  he  answered,  "  Not  all." 
when  I  handed  back  the  purse  of  money  to  him,  and 
he  took  out  fourteen  dollars,  and  then  returned  it, 
saying,  "  Now  we  are  even,"  which  was  as  good  as 
a  receipt. 

Campbell  was  on  board  acting  as  pilot,  and  he 
and  Billy  told  me  they  must  go  and  see  my  country, 
which  request  I  readily  granted.  I  purchased  more 
cocoa-nuts,  and  took  tl  em  on  board  when  the  Traverse 
arrived.  I  put  all  the  goods  I  had  left  of  her  cargo 
on  board  the  schooner  Price,  and  prepared  to  sail 
the  next  morning.  That  evening  we  were  visited 
by  all  the  old  men  and  sookermen  in  that  vicinity, 
together  with  forty  or  fifty  young  men ;  the  bottle  of 
rum  was  passed  round  among  them  often  during  the 
night  by  Campbell  or  Billy,  the  old  men  relating 
stories  and  giving  their  charge  to  my  traders,  who 
were  going  to  New- York  with  me.  The  St.  Bias  In 
dians  have  a  peculiar  custom  about  talking :  when 
an  old  man  is  speaking,  all  the  company  are  silent, 
not  one  lisp  is  heard  from  any  other  person,  except 
at  the  end  of  every  sentence,  when  each  listener 
says,  "  Ah  !"  When  one  old  man  has  ended  his  story 
another  commences  without  any  interruption.  I  laid 
down  to  sleep  at  eleven  o'clock  and  slept  till  five  in 
the  morning,  when  I  awoke  and  found  them  talking. 


136  DUNHAM'S 

Some  time  after,  I  called  one  of  the  Indians  aft  who 
spoke  English,  and  asked  him  why  this  talk  had  con 
tinued  all  night :  he  answered  me  by  saying,  "  The 
old  men  had  told  Campbell  and  Billy  that  they  would 
be  the  first  of  their  tribe  whoever  visited  my  coun 
try  ;  that  they  must  keep  sober  and  honest,  and  con 
duct  themselves  like  gentlemen." 

Having  all  things  ready  for  sea,  I  took  leave  of 
the  old  patriarchs  by  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand, 
and  proceeded  on  my  voyage. 

Nothing  material  occurred  until  we  got  into  the 
latitude  of  24°,  when  our  main-mast  was  carried 
away  and  we  rigged  a  temporary  jury-mast :  having 
a  long  fore-sail,  we  were  enabled  to  keep  the  schooner 
on  her  way  ;  and  being  a  sharp  Baltimore  clipper,  she 
made  pretty  good  headway  under  her  fore-sail.  Three 
days  after,  while  laying  too  in  a  gale  of  wind,  we  lost 
one  of  our  seamen,  named  William  Latch,  overboard. 
After  a  passage  of  thirty-five  days  we  arrived  in 
New- York.  My  Indians  knew  not  what  cold  meant, 
and  having  some  flannel  on  board,  I  made  them  some 
shirts  on  the  passage,  and  gave  them  some  old  cast- 
off  woollen  clothing  to  protect  them  from  the  wintry 
weather  of  our  coast.  When  we  approached  the  cold 
latitudes  we  had  a  warm  south-east  wind,  which 
brought  us  into  the  harbor  of  New- York  without  ex 
periencing  much  of  the  severity  of  the  weather.  The 
first  night  after  our  arrival  I  went  to  my  boarding 
house,  where  I  tarried  until  early  next  morning,  when- 
I  went  to  visit  the  schooner.  As  1  approached  the 


VOYAGES.  137 

wharf  where  she  lay,  I  saw  Campbell  looking  at  his 
fingers,  turning  his  hands  over  and  viewing  them 
very  closely.  I  accosted  him  in  his  accustomed  man 
ner  of  speaking,  saying,  "Campbell,  what  de  mat 
ter  ?"  he  replied,  "  My  God  !  captain,  somet'ing  bite 
me  and  I  can't  see  'im."  His  own  country  being  in 
fested  with  musquittoes,  sand-flies,  fire-ants,  and 
sundry  insects,  which  he  could  see,  this  invisible 
sting  of  cold  he  could  not  account  for.  I  took  them 
to  a  clothing  store  and  rigged  them  with  winter 
dunage.  I  then  took  them  to  a  boarding  house,  and 
in  the  evening  the  mate  escorted  them  to  the  play 
house,  thinking  he  could  astonish  them.  The  next 
morning  I  asked  Campbell  how  he  liked  the  play,  he 
replied,  "  Too  much  fight ;  one  old  man  go  dead."  In 
spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  the  contrary,  they  would 
follow  me  at  a  distance.  One  day  being  near  the 
City  Hall,  my  two  Indians  following,  as  usual,  I 
thought  I  would  stop  and  let  them  overtake  me,  and 
have  a  view  of  the  building,  knowing  that  Campbell 
had  never  seen  even  a  frame  house,  previous  to  his 
arrival  in  New- York.  As  they  came  up  with  me 
the  keeper  came  out,  and  invited  us  up  into  the  pic 
ture  gallery,  wrhere  we  saw  full-length  portraits  of 
all  the  governors  of  the  State,  and  many  other  dis 
tinguished  men,  which  the  Indians  viewed  without 
any  manifestation  of  surprise.  We  soon  after  went 
down  Broadway,  and  as  we  approached  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Campbell  observing  the  covered  figure  of  the 
Saint,  set  in  the  wall  of  the  building,  stopped,  and 


138  DUNHAM'S 

looking  at  it  some  time,  said,  "'Captain  what  dat  old 
man  tand  dare  for  ?"  We  passed  on  a  little  further, 
when  I  met  my  old  acquaintance,  Doctor  Samuel  L. 
Mitchell,  who  had  visited  me  on  my  return  from 
every  voyage  since  I  had  been  in  this  trade,  in  con 
sequence  of  my  furnishing  him  with  roots,  plants, 
and  Indian  curiosities.  He  was  pleased  at  seeing  the 
Indians,  and  asked  what  country  they  came  from, 
their  customs,  manners,  &c.    I  gave  him  a  brief  ex 
planation,  and  he  then  insisted  upon  my  going  home 
with  him,  saying,  "  Mrs.  Mitchell  must  see  them,"  to 
which  I  consented.  We  repaired  to  his  house,  where 
I  made  a  short  visit,  and  he  agreed  to  let  me  retire, 
provided  I  would  come  to  the  college  at  two  o'clock 
that  day,  as  he  was  to  lecture  there  at  that  hour. 
On  my  return  from  the  doctor's  I  passed   through 
Maiden  Lane,  where  many  of  the  windows  were  de 
corated  with  toys.  My  Indians  stopped  to  view  them, 
and  I  could  not  get  them  any  further  until  I  entered 
the  stores  and  purchased  some  whistling  birds,  swim 
ming  geese,  &c.  which  they  looked  upon  as  the  great 
est  curiosities  in  the  whole  city.  At  two  o'clock  I  re 
paired  to  the  college  with  my  Indians.    The  doctor 
felt  of  their  heads,  looked  down  their  throats,  &c. 
and  said  they  belonged  to  the  same  species  as  those 
who  inhabit  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  a  part  of  Asia. 
The  students  gave  them  a  donation  of  eight  dollars, 
and  we  returned  to  our  respective  boarding  houses. 
A  few  days  after,  General  Jackson  visited  New- 
York,  which  caused  considerable  noise  and  bustle. 


VOYAGES.  139 

My  Indians  called  on  me  to  conduct  them  to  the 
place  of  his  landing,  which  was  Whitehall,  saying, 
"  Me  want  to  see  dat  big  big  American  gineral."  I 
conducted  them  to  the  place  of  landing,  and  the  first 
object  which  attracted  their  attention  was  the  mili 
tary  officers  forming  the  procession,  with  long  feath 
ers  on  their  hats,  and  they  begged  me  very  hard  to 
go*  purchase  some  of  those  feathers  for  them.  These 
Indians  had  every  temptation  to  get  intoxicated,  hav 
ing  plenty  of  money  given  them  by  the  owners  of  the 
Price  and  myself,  and  a  donation  of  eight  dollars 
from  the  students  of  the  college  :  in  addition  to  which 
the  cartmen  daily  put  up  six-penny  pieces  for  them 
to  shoot  at  with  their  bows  and  arrows,  which  they 
generally  got.  We  made  them  acquainted  with  a 
number  of  pleasant  liquors  which  they  had  never 
before  tasted,  such  as  wine,  cordial,  beer,  &c.  but 
nothing  could  induce  them  to  get  drunk,  having  re 
ceived  a  strict  charge  from  the  old  men  of  their  own 
country  before  they  left  home  to  keep  sober  until 
they  returned. 

After  going  through  the  necessary  forms  at  the 
Custom  House,  the  vessel  was  unloaded,  and  I  ob 
tained  a  furlough  of  two  weeks  to  visit  my  family  at 
Catskill,  whom  I  found  in  good  health.  At  the  ap 
pointed  time  I  returned  to  New- York  and  made  the 
necessary  preparations  for  another  voyage. 


140  DUNHAM'S 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Schooner  Price.— Third  Voyage. 

Having  purchased  a  suitable  cargo  for  the  trade, 
and  got  it  on  board,  we  were  prevailed  upon  to  take 
as  passengers,  a  man  and  his  wife,  with  two  small 
children  and  a  black  servant,  whom  we  tried  hard  to 
get  rid  of,  by  charging  them  an  exorbitant  price ;  but 
the  man  insisted  on  going,  having  been  formerly  a 
resident  of  Old  Providence,  and  one  of  my  old  custo 
mers  in  that  island.  My  cabin  was  not  larger  than 
a  farmer's  hen-roost,  having  only  four  berths,  and 
those  so  narrow  that  one  could  hardly  turn  over  in 
them.  At  night  we  covered  the  floor  of  the  little 
cabin  completely ;  the  man  and  his  wife,  two  child 
ren,  the  black  servant,  my  two  Indians,  cabin  boy, 
the  mate  and  myself,  all  lodged  in  one  nest.  We 
sailed  from  New- York  about  the  third  of  March, 
1819,  bound  to  Old  Providence,  St.  Andreas,  Corn 
Island,  Musquitto  Shore,  and  St.  Bias.  When  we  ar 
rived  in  latitude  32°  we  were  overtaken  by  a  violent 
gale  of  wind,  which  obliged  us  to  heave  the  vessel 
too.  As  the  gale  abated  (the  sea  running  very  high) 
we  shipped  a  sea  which  swept  our  deck,  taking  the 
cook  and  caboose,  which  was  well  served  down  to 
ring-bolts,  drove  into  the  deck,  but  they  were  drawn 
out  by  the  violence  of  the  waves.  Our  boat,  oars, 


.      VOYAGES.  141 

and  other  articles  on  deck  were  all  swept  overboard. 
By  means  of  some  spare  running  gear  the  cook  was 
hauled  on  board.  The  next  day  the  sea  moderated, 
when  we  opened  the  hatches  and  got  out  a  new  ca 
boose.  On  my  departure  from  Corn  Island  I  had  taken 
an  order  from  an  English  trader  to  bring  out  two 
patent  American  cabooses  for  him,  which  I  then  had 
on  board.  We  rigged  our  new  caboose  and  proceeded 
on  our  voyage,  meeting  with  no  further  disasters 
worthy  of  notice.  On  our  arrival  at  Old  Providence 
I  found  a  small  fleet  of  vessels  there,  called  patriots, 
(another  name  for  pirates,)  who  had  taken  possession 
of  the  island,  and  had  hoisted  the  Columbian  flag. 
On  my  entering  the  harbor  they  laid  an  embargo  on 
my  vessel  for  a  few  days.  The  expedition  was  com 
manded  by  a  man  who  called  himself  Aurey,  assisted 
by  another,  styled  Admiral  Bogar,  and  the  third  went 
by  the  title  of  Commodore  Parker.  Their  squadron 
consisted  of  two  small  gun  brigs,  and  two  or  three 
privateer  schooners.  Their  land  force  amounted  to 
two  or  three  hundred  men :  they  had  what  they  call 
ed  an  English  camp,  a  French  camp,  and  an  Ameri 
can  camp.  They  had  hanged  one  American,  and  se 
verely  flogged  another  for  some  crime,  giving  him 
one  hundred  lashes  under  the  gallows.  They  pre 
tended  to  hold  some  commission  under  General  Boli 
var.  I  demanded  a  return  of  my  vessel,  which  they 
reluctantly  granted  me,  and  I  sailed  for  the  Island  of 
St.  Andreas,  where  I  found  another  squadron  of  ves 
sels  from  England,  consisting  of  a  twenty-gun  brig, 


142  DUNHAM'S 

commanded  by  Captain  Hudson,  with  three  trans 
port  ships,  having  about  five  hundred  officers  and 
soldiers  on  board,  bound  to  Porto  Bello,  all  under  the 
command  of  Sir  Gregor  McGregor.  On  my  arrival  I 
was  visited  by  an  old  English  officer,  named  Rafter, 
who  was  apparently  a  gentleman,  he  acted  as  com 
mander  in  the  absence  of  Sir  Gregor  McGregor,  who 
had  not  arrived  at  that  time ;  he  wanted  to  purchase 
a  pipe  of  gin  from  me  for  the  use  of  the  troops,  and 
give  me  a  bill  on  London  in  payment.  The  next  day 
Sir  Gregor  arrived  from  St.  Domingo,  in  company 
with  an  old  Spanish  gentleman,  named  Lopes,  from 
whom  he  had  borrowed  about  twelve  thousand  dol 
lars,  and  promised  to  make  him  governor  of  the  first 
city  he  should  capture. 

The  next  day  Commodore  Hudson  came  on  board 
the  Price,  and  offered  me  one  hundred  dollars  per 
day  and  a  handsome  present  for  myself,  to  join  the 
fleet  and  go  on  an  expedition  with  them  for  a  few 
days.  I  told  him  that  my  vessel  was  insured,  and  that 
it  would  be  a  total  breach  of  my  orders  to  comply 
with  his  request.  In  the  afternoon  they  laid  an  em 
bargo  on  the  Price.  The  following  day  was  appointed 
for  a  great  celebration,  which  was  to  take  place  at 
the  house  of  Mrs.  Lever,  a  respectable  widow  lady. 
I  visited  the  place  where  they  landed  the  troops 
from  the  vessels,  raised  a  flag  staff  and  hoisted  the 
New  Grenadian  flag.  Silk  cushions  were  brought 
into  the  house  and  placed  on  the  table  where  Gene 
ral  McGregor,  Governor  Lopes,  and  other  officers, 


VOYAGES.  143 

took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  government  of 
New  Grenada ;  most  of  the  officers  being  under  half 
pay  from  the  English,  looked  sad  when  they  re 
nounced  their  allegiance  to  their  own  country. 
Three  days  after,  they  sailed  for  Porto  Bello,  taking 
Colonel  Woodbine  as  pilot,  and  proceeding  within  a 
few  miles  of  that  place,  they  landed  in  a  thicket  of 
woods  ;  then  taking  a  foot-path,  they  entered  the  city 
undiscovered  by  the  inhabitants,  and  took  posses 
sion  of  the  place  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  Most  of 
the  inhabitants  fled  from  their  houses  and  left  them 
to  the  conquerors.  Old  Lopes  was  appointed  go 
vernor,  and  the  officers  taking  possession  of  the  va 
cant  dwelling  houses  which  the  Spaniards  had  left, 
sat  themselves  down  like  private  gentlemen.  Soon 
after  the  soldiers  revolted  and  refused  to  do  duty, 
alledging  that  the  general  had  promised  them  twen 
ty  dollars  bounty  for  the  first  city  they  should  cap 
ture.  Before  the  insurrection  could  be  put  down, 
the  general  raised  eight  dollars  per  man  and  distri 
buted  it  among  them,  and  then  issued  a  proclama 
tion  to  the  inhabitants,  inviting  them  to  return  to 
their  habitations  and  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  new  government,  when  -private  property  would 
be  respected.  Most  of  the  people  complied  with 
his  request,  by  taking  the  oath  required  of  them.  In 
the  meantime  information  was  secretly  sent  over  to 
the  Pacific  by  these  Spaniards,  where  they  raised 
an  army  of  eight  hundred  men,  who  marched  across 
the  Isthmus,  and  lay  encamped  in  the  woods  three 


144  DUNHAM'S 

or  four  miles  back  of  the  city ;  while  those  who  had 
taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  were  keeping  up  "a  re 
gular  communication  with  them.  The  soldiers  who 
had  possession  of  the  city  having  procured  an  abun 
dance  of  liquor,  all  got  intoxicated,  and  the  officers 
retired  to  their  beds  without  placing  any  sentries  on 
duty.  The  Spaniards  in  the  city  sent  spies  to  the 
royalists,  informing  them  that  the  patriot  soldiers 
were  all  drunk,  and  totally  off  their  guard.  During 
the  night  the  royalists  marched  into  the  city  and  took 
possession  of  the  forts,  which  were  very  strong,  (one 
in  particular  is  said  to  mount  three  hundred  and  six 
ty-five  guns,)  without  meeting  with  any  resistance, 
or  the  loss  of  a  single  man.  They  killed  about  thirty 
of  the  patriots  and  made  the  remainder  prisoners, 
only  twelve  escaping.  I  here  give  you  a  sketch  of 
the  complete  success  of  the  Spaniards,  as  recited  by 
the  General's  right  hand  man.  Lieutenant  Cookley, 
aid-de-camp  to  General  McGregor,  about  three  weeks 
after  the  loss  of  the  army,  said,  "  That  on  the  night 
of  the  re-capture  of  the  city  by  the  royalists,  he  was 
quartered  in  the  second  story  of  the  government 
house  in  Porto  Bello,  General  McGregor  occupying 
one  room,  and  Governor  Lopes  another,  and  being 
himself  very  unwell,  he  was  obliged  to  get  out  of 
his  bed  and  walk  the  room.  Between  three  and  four 
o'clock  he  heard  some  persons  coming  up  stairs. 
Feeling  alarmed,  he  seized  his  sword  and  pistols  and 
ran  to  the  door  of  the  room,  where  he  met  three  men 
well  armed ;  he  shot  one,  and  killed  another  with  his 


VOYAGES.  145 

sword,  the  third  one  retreated  with  a  slight  wound ; 
in  the  meantime,  he  cried  out,  *  General  McGregor, 
you  are  betrayed.'  The  general  sprang  from  his  bed, 
and  taking  his  mattrass,  dropped  it  from  the  window 
on  the  ground ;  then  letting  himself  down  to  it,  ran 
for  the  shore,  and  jumping  into  the  sea  attempted  to 
swim  to  the  commodore's  vessel;  but  being  unskill 
ed  in  swimming,  he  was  picked  up  by  a  boat  and 
carried  on  board,  having  no  clothing  on  except  his 
shirt.  Another  division  of  Spaniards  ascended  the 
stairs  of  the  government  house,  and  proceeding  to  the 
room  of  Governor  Lopes,  killed  him  in  his  bed." 

Those  taken  prisoners  were  marched  across  the 
Isthmus  to  the  South  Sea,  where  they  were  compelled 
to  work  in  chains  on  the  fortifications.  Some  months 
after  I  learned  that  these  prisoners,  in  trying  to  ef 
fect  their  escape,  were  most  of  them  butchered  by 
the  Spaniards 

After  my  release  from  the  embargo  at  St.  Andreas 
I  sailed  for  the  coast  of  St.  Bias,  where  I  arrived 
without  any  further  molestation,  at  the  harbor  of  De 
Ablo.  My  vessel  was  soon  surrounded  with  canoes, 
filled  with  old  men  and  young  ones.  No  ambassador 
returning  from  a  foreign  mission  to  his  own  country 
was  ever  received  with  a  more  hearty  welcome  than 
my  Indians  were  by  their  own  countrymen.  Liquor 
was  soon  passed  around,  and  a  long  conversation 
commenced,  which  lasted,  with  little  intermission, 
until  the  next  morning ;  and  my  traders  seemed  to 
be  absolved  from  the  injunction  laid  upon  them  by 

7 


146  DUNHAM'S 

the  old  men,  not  to  get  drunk  during  their  voyage? 
as  I  discovered  that  Campbell  was  so  drank  before 
twelve  o'clock,  that  he  could  not  rise  from  his  seat 
without  help.  While  relating  his  adventures  he  gave 
his  hearers  a  long  description  of  the  white  rain  he 
had  seen  in  New-York,  (meaning  snow,)  and  sundry 
other  wonderful  events  and  curiosities. 

The  Andes  mountains  on  this  coast  extend  near 
the  sea-shore,  and  are  inhabited  by  baboons  and  other 
large  monkeys,  who  keep  up  a  hideous  noise  during 
the  night,  which  was  a  great  annoyance  to  our  slum 
bers,  as  the  echo  passes  from  mountain  to  mountain. 
The  next  day  after  our  arrival  here  we  experienced 
a  violent  thunder  storm,  the  noise  of  the  thunder 
echoed  in  a  most  tremendous  manner  from  different 
hills,  which  appeared  like  a  cannonading  along  the 
whole  coast.  I  sat  amazed  at  the  sound,  when  an 
old  Indian  who  was  intoxicated,  broke  silence,  by 
saying,  "  That  thunder  is  great  rascal,  he  make  too 
much  quarrel  here." 

My  traders  now  applied  for  another  outfit  of 
goods  for  the  coming  season,  which  I  readily  sup 
plied  them  with,  they  taking  about  the  same  quan 
tity  as  on  the  previous  voyage. 

The  men  of  St.  Bias  are  of  small  stature,  general 
ly  about  five  feet  two  or  three  inches  high ;  wearing 
their  hair  long  on  the  back  of  the  head,  cued  down 
on  their  backs  with  a  cotton  ribbon  of  their  own 
manufacture,  the  hair  cut  straight  across  the  fore 
head,  high  cheek  bones,  and  of  a  light  copper  com- 


VOYAGES.  147 

plexion.  They  dress  in  check  or  flannel  shirts,  with 
linen  trowsers.  The  young  men  are  not  allowed  to 
wear  their  shirt  flaps  inside  of  the  waist-bands  of 
their  trowsers  until  they  are  about  forty  years  old, 
when  they  assume  the  character  of  old  men.  The 
women  are  small  and  delicately  formed,  having  very 
small  feet  and  hands,  and  are  remarkably  modest  in 
their  behaviour.  Their  dress  consists  of  a  piece  of 
blue  cloth,  about  four  feet  long,  wrapped  around 
their  bodies  under  the  arms,  and  extending  to  their 
knees,  a  string  or  two  of  coral  beads  tied  around  their 
legs,  below  the  knee,  and  another  around  above  the 
ankle.  The  women  all  wear  a  piece  of  pure  gold 
wire  of  large  size,  in  the  form  of  a  triangle,  stuck 
through  the  inside  of  the  nose.  The  old  men  wear  a 
number  of  strands  of  coral  beads  around  their  necks, 
and  hanging  down  on  their  bosoms.  The  sookerman 
wears  two  or  three  pounds  of  large  coral  beads  hang 
ing  closely  about  the  neck,  and  the  old  men  wear 
their  shirt  flaps  inside  of  their  waist-bands  as  a  mark 
of  their  dignity.  From  the  best  information  I  can  ob 
tain,  St.  Bias  is  the  oldest  Republic  on  the  Continent 
of  America,  and  should  be  a  model  government  for 
Mexico  and  the  South  American  Republics,  which 
are  constantly  driving  their  rulers  out  of  the  country 
and  changing  Republics  into  Empires. 

The[  soil  of  St.  Bias  produces  an  abundance  of 
bread-stuffs,  such  as  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  cassa- 
tler,  eddies,  plantains,  &c.  Also  cocoa-nuts,  lemons, 
oranges,  sugar  cane  and  cocoa.  They  here  breed  a 


148  DUNHAM'S 

great  number  of  hogs,  poultry,  &c.  The  country 
abounds  with  large  quantities  of  wild  hogs,  moun 
tain  cows,  armadillas,  deer,  conies,  and  innumerable 
wild  fowl.  The  whole  coast  swarms  with  turtle, 
craw- fish, manatee's,  and  a  great  variety  of  shell-fish. 
There  are  some  four  hundred  islands,  lying  from  two 
to  four  miles  from  the  main  land-shore,  which  forms 
an  inland  sea,  making  the  whole  coast  a  good  harbor. 
Every  one  of  these  islands  produces  lirnes,  or  lemons, 
bird,  cayenne,  gourd  and  squash  peppers.  When  a 
table  is  set  in  this  country  a  green  pepper  and  lemon 
are  placed  by  the  side  of  your  plate,  which  serves  for 
pepper  and  vinegar  to  season  your  meat  or  vegeta 
bles.  After  clearing  up  half  an  acre  of  ground,  ten 
days  labor  of  one  man  in  each  year  would  produce 
bread-stuffs  sufficient  for  a  family  of  fifteen  persons. 
Plantains  set  out  on  good  soil  will  yield  a  crop, 
every  nine  months,  for  twenty  years.  Yams  and 
sweet  potatoes  require  planting  and  digging  yearly. 
Having  given  the  reader  a  short  description  of 
St.  Bias,  which  may  app6ar  somewhat  imperfect,  I 
hope  it  will  be  recollected,  should  there  be  "any  im 
perfections,  that  I  have  no  history  of  that  country  to 
refer  to ;  most  of  my  information  having  been  ob 
tained  from  the  natives,  who  speak  broken  English. 
On  taking  leave  of  St.  Bias  I  proceeded  to  St.  An 
dreas,  at  which  place  I  arrived  after  a  passage  of 
two  days.  Here  I  met  General  McGregor,  who  ap 
peared  much  dejected,  having  among  other  losses 
left  all  his  clothing  behind,  which  fell  into  the  hands 


VOYAGES.  149 

of  the  enemy.  Lieutenant  Coakley  came  on  board 
my  vessel  and  related  to  me  all  the  particulars  of 
the  expedition  which  I  have  narrated.  Of  the  land 
forces,  only  twelve  returned  out  of  five  hundred  who 
left  here  some  three  weeks  before.  After  remaining 
here  three  or  four  days,  we  sailed  for  Cape  Gracios 
a  Dios.  On  my  arrival  there  I  commenced  trading, 
as  usual.  The  next  morning,  it  being  the  Fourth  of 
July,  and  being  in  a  strange  port,  I  thought  I  would 
not  make  any  preparations  for  celebrating  the  day. 
I  told  the  mate,  however,  that  he  might  release  the 
crew  from  work  and  give  them  some  extra  rations 
of  grog,  &c.  Before  I  had  finished  giving  my  orders 
to  the  mate,  the  king  came  on  board  with  a  large 
canoe,  loaded  with  Indians,  and  saluting  me  with  a 
loud  voice,  said,  "  Blast  your  eyes,  why  don't  you  fire 
a  salute,  hoist  your  colors  and  celebrate  your  coun 
try's  holyday."  I  answered  him,  by  saying,  "  I  have 
nothing  good  to  eat."  He  replied,  "  You  shall  soon 
have  something ;"  when  getting  into  the  canoe  with 
the  Indians,  they  paddled  him  on  shore,  and  killing  a 
beef,  soon  returned  with  two  quarters.  We  then 
hoisted  our  colors  and  fired  a  salute ;  and  a  number 
of  the  king's  officers  coming  on  board,  we  partook  of 
a  good  dinner;  and  not  forgetting  plenty  of  liquor, 
we  made  ourselves  delightfully  merry.  At  night  the 
king  and  company  retired  very  peaceably. 

The  king  had  frequently  solicited  me  to  take  him 
home  with  me,  but  never  got  himself  ready  to  em 
bark,  and  he  now  renewed  the  conversation  on  the 


150  DUNHAM'S 

subject.  I  told  him  that  my  family  did  not  reside  in 
the  city  of  New- York,  but  lived  two  degrees  north 
of  it,  at  a  small  village  called  Catskill,  near  a 
mountain  of  that  name.  He  replied,  that  would  suit 
much  better,  as  he  wanted  to  see  the  country  and  my 
home.  He  then  said,  "  There  is  one  condition  in  the 
bargain ;  if  I  go  home  with  you,  you  may  call  me 
major,  or  colonel,  or  some  other  officer ;  but  if  you 
call  me  king  I  will  be  the  death  of  you,  for  I  am  not 
going  home  with  you  to  be  made  a  damned  puppet- 
show  of." 

Having  finished  my  trade  here,  I  sailed  down 
along  the  coast,  touching  and  trading  at  the  diffe 
rent  harJbors,  as  usual,  until  I  arrived  at  the  Lagoon, 
where  I  landed  the  goods  from  the  vessel  at  the  store, 
and  taking  in  all  the  exchange  goods  collected  there, 
sailed  for  Corn  Island,  where  we  took  in  some  more 
return  cargo.  While  at  Corn  Island  Captain  Mitchell 
gave  me  an  order  to  bring  him  a  new  boat,  thirty 
feet  long,  to  row  with  six  oars,  <fcc. 

We  now  sailed  for  New- York,  where  we  arrived 
without  meeting  with  any  occurrence  worth  record 
ing.  After  discharging  our  cargo  I  again  visited  my 
family  at  Catskill,  whom  I  found  in  good  health.  I 
remained  with  them  about  eight  days,  and  then  re 
turned  to  New- York.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days  we 
had  procured  another  cargo,  which  taking  on  board, 
together  with  the  new  boat  for  Captain  Mitchell,  we 
were  again  ready  for  sea. 


VOYAGES.  151 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Schooner  Price.— Fourth  Voyage. 

The  Price  being  now  ready  for  sea,  about  the 
first  of  August  we  got  under  weigh  and  proceeded 
on  our  voyage  towards  Old  Providence,  St.  Andreas, 
Corn  Island  and  the  Main.  We  made  our  passage  to 
Old  Providence  in  seventeen  days,  where  we  re 
mained  about  three  days  bartering  off  goods  in  our 
usual  manner.  We  then  sailed  for  St.  Andreas.  On 
the  passage  we,  in  a  squall,  carried  away  the  head 
of  the  schooner's  main-mast,  above  the  eyes  of  the 
shrouds.  On  our  arrival  at  that  port  I  repaired  the 
mast-head  by  cutting  off  five  or  six  feet,  and  forming 
a  new  one.  This  altered  the  appearance  of  the  ves 
sel  very  much,  when  viewed  from  a  distance.  We 
remained  some  time  at  St.  Andreas,  selling  goods,  > 
collecting  debts,  taking  in  all  the  cotton  and  other 
freight  we  could  procure.  Here  I  took  on  board 
a  captain  and  crew  belonging  to  Jamaica,  whose 
schooner  had  been  upset  in  a  squall  and  lost  near 
this  island.  I  agreed  to  carry  them  to  the  Main, 
where  they  expected  to  get  on  board  of  some  of 
their  own  country  vessels.  We  got  under  weigh  and 
sailed  for  Corn  Island  with  a  light  breeze.  When  we 
arrived  within  seven  or  eight  miles  of  Great  Corn 
Island  the  wind  died  awav  to  a  dead  calm,  and  we 


152  DUNHAM'S 

lay  drifting  at  the  mercy  of  the  sea.  I  was  in  great 
ha.^te  to  get  on  shore  at  the  island,  as  I  had  ordere$ 
Captain  Teft,  who  commanded  the  sloop  Traverse,  to 
meet  me  there  in  the  Price  on  the  tenth  of  Septem 
ber,  which  time  had  expired  some  days  before.  Fear 
ing  he  would  be  discouraged  by  waiting,  and  sail  for 
some  other  port,  which  would  cause  a  great  delay  in 
our  meeting,  and  there  being  no  signs  of  a  wind  that 
would  carry  the  Price  into  the  harbor  that  night,  I 
was  advised  to  hoist  out  the  new  boat  which  we  car 
ried  out  for  Captain  Mitchell ;  having  a  double  boat's 
crew  with  the  Englishmen,  we  could  man  her  with 
six  oars  and  soon  row  in.  The  boat  was  according 
ly  hoisted  out  and  manned,  and  we  proceeded  toward 
the  shore.  It  being  a  star-light  evening,  and  the  har 
bor  having  some  rocks  and  stones  on  the  bottom,  I 
seated  myself  on  the  taffrail  of  the  boat,  which  rais 
ed  my  head  some  twro  feet  above  the  heads  of  the 
crew,  and  enabled  me  to  see  any  dangerous  rocks, 
and  steer  clear  of  them,  it  being  what  seamen  call  a 
bright  bottom.  I  had  on  my  head  a  large  brimmed 
white  Panama  hat,  of  course  a  good  mark  to  shoot 
at.  A  few  days  previous  to  my  Leaving  Corn  Island, 
on  my  last  voyage,  it  was  currently  reported  there 
that  the  United  States  man-of-war  Schooner  Fire 
Brand  was  cruising  in  these  seas.  We  approached 
the  harbor  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  As  we 
came  near  the  shore  we  were  hailed  by  one  of  the 
gang  who  were  there,  saying,  "  What  boat  is  that  ?" 
My  schooner  always  carried  canoes  instead  of  boats, 


VOYAGES.  153 

which  we  found  much  better  to  land  in  the  surf,  and 
for  that  reason  I  had  abandoned  the  use  of  the  latter 
in  this  trade,  for  the  last  three  years,  and  all  the  in 
habitants  of  that  island  knew  it.  My  boat  being  long, 
and  much  resembling  what  is  called  on  board  of  a 
man-of-war  the  captain's  gig,  I  answered,  "  United 
States  Schooner  Fire  Brand."  They  said,  "  pull  in 
then."  At  that  instant  fourteen  men  fired  into  us, 
the  shot  whistling  past  my  head  so  close  that  it 
appeared  to  deafen  me  for  a  moment.  As  soon  as 
they  hailed  us,  I  told  the  men  in  the  boat  to  stop 
rowing,  so  that  the  questions  and  answers  could  be 
distinctly  heard.  As  soon  as  they  had  fired,  a  favorite 
old  sailor  in  the  boat,  who  pulled  the  after  oar,  with 
his  back  toward  the  shore,  being  between  me  and 
those  who  fired  at  us,  spoke  to  me  in  a  very  mild 
tone,  saying,  "  Captain,  I  am  wounded."  I  then  told 
the  crew  to  pull  away,  they  all  gave  way  upon  their 
oars  except  this  man,  who  laid  still  in  the  bottom  of 
the  boat ;  this  irritated  me  so  much,  thinking  that 
my  favorite  old  tar  should  be  the  first  to  skulk  from 
danger,  not  supposing  from  the  mildness  of  his  ex 
pression  that  he  was  much  wounded,  I  jumped  from 
the  tiller  of  the  boat  in  great  haste,  caught  him  by 
the  collar  and  gave  him  a  shake,  saying,  "  Pull  away, 
you  skulking  fellow."  You  may  imagine  my  astonish 
ment  when  I  found  that  he  was  a  lifeless  corpse.  In 
the  meantime  I  heard  the  company  on  shore  ram 
ming  down  their  cartridges  into  their  guns,  prepar 
ing  for  another  fire.  All  the  time  keeping  a  bright 


154  DUNHAM'S 

look-out  alongside  of  the  boat,  for  fear  of  running 
her  on  the  rocks,  I  discovered  that  we  had  got  into 
two  or  three  feet  water,  and  were  not  more  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  those  who  were  prepar 
ing  to  fire  a  second  time.  I  ordered  my  men  to  stop 
rowing  and  follow  me,  which  they  immediately  did. 
I  jumped  overboard  into  the  water,  my  crew  follow 
ing  me.  We  then  made  our  way  to  our  assailants, 
when  I  found  my  own  clerk,  and  Captain  Tefts,  of 
the  little  sloop  Traverse,  who  were  here  waiting  for 
my  arrival,  Captain  Mitchell,  for  whom  I  brought 
the  boat,  and  Benjamin  Downs,  father  of  a  colored 
apprentice  boy  I  had  then  on  board.  In  short,  they 
were  all  old  acquaintances  of  mine.  I  was  highly 
excited  on  the  occasion.  They  made  a  long  apology 
by  saying,  that  the  royalists  in  Porto  Bello  had  fitted 
out  two  armed  schooners  to  scour  the  coast,  and  that 
they  had  captured  two  English  vessels  found  trading 
with  the  Indians  :  that  they  mistook  the  Price  for  one 
of  them,  her  appearance  being  so  much  altered  by 
the  loss  of  the  head  of  her  main-mast,  that  they  sup 
posed  I  had  been  captured  by  one  of  these  vessels 
and  was  a  prisoner  in  the  boat,  and  compelled  to 
answer  their  questions,  as  they  all  knew  my  voice, 
and  that  if  they  suffered  a  crew  to  land  they  would 
all  be  butchered,  as  they  had  given  aid  and  shelter 
to  the  patriots  for  a  long  time.  I  landed  the  body  of 
my  unfortunate  man  and  placed  it  under  the  care 
of  some  of  my  friends,  procured  a  pilot,  went  on 
board  the  Price,  and  brought  her  into  the  harbor  the 


VOYAGE  S.  155 

next  morning.  I  then  buried  the  poor  sailor  in  as  de 
cent  a  manner  as  the  country  would  admit  of,  col 
lecting  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  to  join 
the  funeral  procession.  There  being  no  clergymen 
in  the  island,  I  read  the  burial  service  at  the  grave, 
this  being  my  usual  custom  at  sea  on  committing 
dead  bodies  to  the  ocean. 

I  fitted  out  the  Traverse  for  another  cruise  by 
giving  Captain  Teft  a  new  supply  of  goods,  when  he 
proceeded  on  a  trading  voyage  to  the  Main.  I  took 
Mr.  Smith,  the  clerk  of  the  store  on  board,  and  sail 
ed  for  the  Lagoon,  when  we  took  on  board  all  the 
goods  we  had  there,  and  proceeded  to  a  small  har 
bor,  called  Salt  Creek,  supposed  to  be  a  better  place 
for  our  trade.  I  also  took  a  few  Indians  to  assist  in 
building  the  store,  which  I  landed  there,  with  myself 
and  crew,  and  erected  a  comfortable  building  in  less 
than  four  days,  modeled  after  the  houses  of  that 
country,  landed  a  supply  of  goods,  and  left  Mr.  Smith 
to  dispose  of  them,  sold  the  Sloop  Traverse,  and  took 
Captain  Teft  and  his  crew  on  board.  Having  learn 
ed  that  the  royal  governor  of  Porto  Bello  had  fitted 
out  one  or  two  man-of-war  schooners,  which  had 
captured  two  English  traders  on  the  coast  of  St. 
Bias,  where  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  proceed,  I 
hired  three  men  in  addition  to  Captain  Tefts  and  his 
little  crew,  to  proceed  with  me  to  that  place.  My 
schooner  being  armed  with  a  six-pound  cannon,  with 
about  thirty  fowling  guns,  plenty  of  cutlasses,  and 
some  boarding  pikes,  we  proceeded  to  the  coast  of 


156  DUNHAM'S 

St.  Bias,  where  we  were  advised  by  the  Indians  to 
put  the  schooner  into  a  small  river,  about  two  hun 
dred  feet  wide,  and  wait  a  few  days  before  we  pro 
ceeded  to  the  River  De  Ablo,  our  port  of  destination. 
We  warped  the  schooner  into  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
in  shoal  water,  where  we  supposed  the  enemy's  ves 
sels  could  not  come  near  enough  to  injure  us,  and 
prepared  ourselves  for  an  encounter  with  their  boats 
if  they  sent  them  to  attack  us,  by  making  cartridges 
of  musket-balls  and  buck-shot,  put  up  in  bags  of  six 
pounds  each,  in  addition  to  round  balls  and  cannis- 
ter-shot.  I  likewise  supplied  about  thirty  Indians 
with  ammunition,  who  promised  to  come  to  my  as 
sistance  if  the  enemy  disturbed  me.  I  divided  my 
men  into  two  watches,  and  kept  a  good  look-out  four 
days  and  nights.  About  the  fifth  night  we  heard  the 
sound  of  a  horn  a  number  of  times  ;  about  12  o'clock 
all  hands  were  called  to  quarters.  We  soon  disco 
vered,  however,  that  the  sound  proceeded  from  a 
canoe,  which  when  we  had  let  it  approach  within 
hail,  we  found  to  contain  the  crew  of  an  English 
trader,  who  had  been  captured  by  a  royal  privateer 
and  carried  into  Porto  Bello,  where  they  had  escaped 
from  their  prison,  stolen  a  canoe,  and  then  paddled 
to  this  place,  a  distance  of  about,  sixty  miles,  with 
out  food.  Soon  after,  we  learned  from  the  Indians 
that  the  cruisers  had  left  the  coast.  We  then  pro 
ceeded  to  the  River  De  *Ablo,  where  I  found  my  tra 
ders  waiting  my  arrival.  They  brought  their  returns, 
goods,  &c.  on  board,  and  a  settlement  was  made  in 


VOYAGES.  157 

a  satisfactory  manner  on  both  sides  in  less  than  one 
hour.  I  purchased  a  few  thousand  cocoa-nuts  and 
some  fustic,  which  I  took  on  board,  and  sailed  for 
Cape  Gracios  a  Dios,  touching  at  Corn  Island. 

On  my  arrival  at  the  Cape  I  took  on  board  all  the 
return  cargo  I  could  procure,  and  proceeded  to  the 
Lagoon,  stopping  at  the  diiferent  harbors,  as  usual. 
When  at  the  Lagoon  I  made  known  my  intention 
of  leaving  the  trade,  when  a  number  of  sooker- 
men  assembled  to  bestow  their  farewell  benediction 
upon  me,  saying  that  I  had  traded  a  long  time  with 
them,  and  that  they  were  much  pleased  with  me, 
and  did  not  blame  me  for  leaving  them,  as  they  sup 
posed  I  wanted  to  stop  at  home  and  mind  my  wife 
and  pickaninies  (meaning  children)  for  a  time,  but 
should  never  die  until  I  returned  to  that  country, 
and  would  never  die  there,  but  return  to  my  own 
country,  after  I  had  visited  them,  and  die  at  my  own 
home.  After  taking  an  affectionate  leave  of  them  all, 
we  took  our  departure  toward  home. 

After  buffeting  the  storms  and  tempests  of  the 
ocean  for  nearly  four  years,  carrying  on  an  average, 
a  crew  of  six  persons,  including  the  mate  and  myself, 
and  having  lost  six,  viz :  one  by  desertion,  one  by 
death  on  board,  one  shot,  and  three  by  drowning, 
I  thought  it  best  to  seek  some  more  comfortable 
trade  in  which  to  gain  a  support  for  myself  and 
family,  and  one  less  exposed  to  hardships,  and  such 
constant  risk  of  health  and  life.  I  was  always  com 
pelled,  while  on  this  trading  business,  to  sleep  on  deck, 


158  DUNHAM'S 

my  cabin  being  small  and  dark,  having  no  windows. 
If  I  laid  down  in  the  cabin  I  was  soon  covered  with 
cock-roaches,  musquittoes,  and  fire-ants,  besides  be 
ing  exposed  to  centipedes,  scorpions,  &c.  which  ter 
rified  me  so  much  that  I  dare  not  take  lodging  there 
while  we  were  in  the  tropical  climes,  although  I 
needed  shelter  from  the  excessive  rains  which  visit 
that  country  from  May  until  November.  Having  a 
good  awning,  which  was  always  spread  when  the  ves 
sel  was  anchored,  we  generally  ate,  drank  and  slept 
on  deck  until  we  arrived  in  the  cold  latitudes,  when 
those  insects  became  torpid,  and  cold  weather  com 
pelled  me  to  seek  shelter  in  the  cabin.  On  parting 
with  the  Indians  I  felt  distressed,  and  could  not  avoid 
showing  my  gratitude  toward  them  for  their  native 
kindness,  and  the  many  evidences  of  friendly  intent 
which  they  had  shown  for  me.  I  had  often  called  at 
their  hovels  when  out  on  excursions,  being  fatigued 
and  hungry,  needing  food  and  rest,  when  the  poor 
Indian,  having  but  one  plate  and  one  old  knife  and 
fork  in  his  house,  would  place  them  on  his  little 
table,  or  some  substitute  for  one,  and  cook  the  best 
meal  he  could  procure,  making  me  take  a  seat 
by  the  table,  and  with  a  hearty  good  will  urging 
me  to  eat,  while  he,  sharpening  the  end  of  a  stick 
that  he  might  take  the  meat  out  of  the  pot  with  it, 
would  sit  down  on  the  ground-floor  and  eat  his  din 
ner,  refusing  to  come  to  the  table  with  me,  because 
he  had  but  one  set  of  dishes.  Having  but  one  ham 
mock  to  sleep  in  himself,  he  invariably  left  that  for 


VOYAGES.  159 

me,  while  he  would  take  his  lodging  on  a  cow-skin 
placed  on  the  ground-floor. 

The  whole  furniture  of  each  Indian  family  would 
not  cost  ten  dollars. 

We  stopped  at  Corn  Island,  collected  all  the 
return  we  could  obtain,  and  sailed  for  New- York, 
where  we  arrived  about  the  first  of  January,  1820, 
without  any  particular  incident  worth  notice,  dis 
charged  the  cargo,  settled  with  my  owners,  and  re 
turned  to  Catskill,  where  I  found  my  family  in  the 
enjoyment  of  their  usual  health.  I  now  determined 
to  remain  at  home  during  the  winter,  and  enjoy 
some  repose  from  the  toils  of  the  sea,  having  spent 
but  five  or  six  weeks  with  my  family  during  the  last 
five  years. 

I  now  entered  into  an  agreement,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Apollos  Cooke,  merchant,  of  Catskill,  to 
open  a  trade  from  that  place  to  the  West  Indies. 
During  the  winter  we  purchased  a  cargo  of  lumber 
for  that  market,  intending  to  charter  or  purchase  a 
vessel  to  carry  it  there  as  soon  as  the  navigation  of 
the  Hudson  River  opened. 


160  DU  NH  A  M'  S 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

Schooner   Enterprise. 

Early  in  the  month  of  March,  1820,  I  proceeded 
to  New- York,  for  the  purpose  of  chartering  or  pur 
chasing  a  vessel  to  carry  our  timber  to  the  West 
India  market,  and  spent  a  few  days  in  the  city  on 
that  business.  While  sitting  at  the  breakfast  table 
one  morning,  I  was  asked  by  a  ship-master,  an  old 
acquaintance,  if  I  did  not  want  to  take  a  voyage  to 
Bermuda.  I  replied  no  ;  that  I  came  to  New- York  to 
charter  a  vessel  to  go  to  Catskill,  and  take  in  a  cargo 
of  lumber  there.  He  said  he  thought  I  might  make 
some  sale  or  contract  for  it  in  that  place.  Here  our 
conversation  ended,  and  I  thought  no  more  about  it. 
After  breakfast  he  asked  me  to  take  a  walk  with 
him.  When  we  had  journeyed  some  little  distance, 
we  met  a  man  with  whom  he  passed  the  usual 
compliment  of  good  morning,  and  said,  "This  is 
Captain  Dunham,  of  whom  I  spoke  to  you."  He  ask 
ed  rne  what  wages  I  would  require  to  take  charge  of 
a  schooner  to  go  to  Bermuda.  I  told  him  fifty  dollars 
per  month.  He  said  he  had  agreed  with  a  captain 
to  go  the  voyage  for  forty  dollars  per  month,  but  he 
was  unfortunately  taken  sick  and  could  not  go.  I 
bid  him  good  morning,  and  had  proceeded  a  few  rods 
when  he  called  on  me  to  stop,  saying  he  would  split 


VOYAGES,  161 

the  difference  with  me.  I  told  him  I  would  go.  He 
then  took  me  into  a  store,  saying,  "  There  is  your  mate 
and  crew,  and  I  wish  you  to  take  them  to  a  Notary 
Public's  office  in  Pine-street,  and  have  the  shipping 
papers  made  out,  and  I  will  come  there  with  the 
money  and  pay  the  expenses ;"  which  he  soon  per 
formed.  After  this  was  accomplished  we  went  to  the 
Custom  House  and  obtained  a  clearance,  and  then 
parted  and  went  to  dinner.  He  requested  me  to  call 
immediately  after  dinner  at  a  lumber-yard  he  men 
tioned,  where  I  would  find  him  on  board  the  schooner, 
as  he  had  engaged  a  passage  for  New-Haven  at  four 
o'clock  that  afternoon,  where  he  resided.  He  handed 
me  a  letter  addressed  to  the  captain  of  the  Schooner 
Enterprise,  containing  direction  for  the  voyage ;  and 
telling  me  he  hoped  I  would  do  for  him  as  I  would 
for  myself,  took  leave  of  me.  I  found  the  schooner 
to  be  one  of  the  large  full-built  Eastern  vessels,  hav 
ing  the  deck  loaded  to  the  height  of  eight  feet.  I  hur 
ried  and  got  some  clothing  and  a  small  out-fit,  and 
having  left  some  old  clothes  and  bedding,  charts, 
quadrants,  &c.  in  New- York,  on  my  last  voyage ; 
I  had  them  put  on  board  that  afternoon,  procured  a 
pilot  and  went  to  sea  at  eight  o'clock  the  next  morn 
ing.  We  made  our  passage  to  Bermuda  in  seven 
days,  where  we  discharged  our  cargo,  and  taking 
on  board  a  ballast  of  fustic,  returned  from  Bermuda 
to  New- York  in  seven  and  a  half  days ;  making  the 
whole  time  gone  only  twenty-nine  days,  being  one 
of  the  most  pleasant  voyages  I  ever  made.  My  ac- 


162  DUNHAM'S 

quaintance  with  the  owner  was  so  short,  that,  after 
my  return,  when  he  came  on  board  and  gave  me  his 
hand,  I  looked  for  some  time  before  I  could  recollect 
him.  When  I  left  Catskill  I  took  with  me  only  two 
or  three  changes  of  shirts,  &c.  promising  my  family 
to  return  in  a  few  days.  In  the  journey  I  so  unex 
pectedly  took  there  was  nothing  interesting,  and  1 
merely  insert  it  to  keep  up  the  chain  of  my  voyages. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Schooner  Felicity, 

About  the  first  of  June,  1820,  I  chartered  the 
Schooner  Felicity  in  New- York,  and  proceeded  to 
Catskill,  and  took  in  a  cargo  for  St.  Domingo ;  re 
turned  to  New- York,  and  after  shipping  a  crew,  sail 
ed  on  the  twenty-second  of  June  for  Port  au  Prince, 
in  the  Island  of  St.  Domingo,  where  we  arrived  after 
a  passage  of  eighteen  days,  without  the  occurrence 
of  anything  which  would  interest  the  reader.  I  found 
Port  au  Prince  to  be  a  large  but  dirty  city,  no  care 
being  taken  to  clean  the  streets,  the  yellow  fever 
often  raging  here,  particularly  among  the  shipping. 
The  government  is  called  a  Republic,  with  a  presi 
dent  elected  for  life,  receiving  a  salary  of  forty  thou 
sand  dollars  for  his  services,  and  thirty  thousand  for 


VOYAGES.  163 

his  table  expenses.  The  president  being  a  military 
chieftain,  exercises  great  power  over  his  subjects, 
who  have  only  the  shadow  of  a  Senate  and  Assem 
bly,  as  they  are  subservient  to  his  will.  The  soil  of 
the  Island  is  very  fertile,  -producing  sugar-cane,  cof 
fee,  cocoa,  and  three  crops  of  corn  in  one  year ;  also, 
beans,  cabbages,  water-mellons,  and  most  kinds  of 
garden  vegetables:  plantains,  yams,  and  every  va 
riety  of  tropical  fruits  in  abundance.  The  Island  at 
this  time  was  divided  into  three  departments;  the 
northern  part  was  held  by  a  black  royal  Emperor, 
who  styled  himself  Christoff,  and  exercised  as  much 
power  over  his  subjects  as  does  the  Emperor  of  Rus 
sia  over  his.  The  southern  part  was  owned  by  the 
Spaniards,  as  a  Republic  ;  the  western  by  the  Repub 
licans  called  Haytians,  who  were  then  at  war  with 
the  Royalists  under  the  command  of  the  black  empe 
ror.  The  war  between  those  two  parties  had  been 
carried  on  for  many  years,  and  ended  in  the  total 
overthrow  of  the  Royalists;  the  emperor  blowing 
his  brains  out  with  his  pistol. 

The  president  of  this  Republic  lays  heavy  export 
duties  on  the  produce  of  the  Island.  The  stamp  du 
ties  on  paper  are  said  to  amount  to  over  two  millions 
per  annum.  All  merchants  and  mechanics  pay  a 
heavy  tax  for  licenses  to  carry  on  their  business. 
Whites  are  excluded  from  carrying  on  their  trades 
in  their  own  names,  or  from  purchasing  real  estate 
in  this  Republic.  A  white  can  take  a  black  partner, 
male  or  female,  and  do  business  in  his  or  her  name. 


164  DUNHAM'S 

Most  of  the  white  men  settled  here  prefer  the  latter. 
This  government  has  a  mint,  and  coin  their  own 
money,  which  contains  ten  per  cent  of  silver  mixed 
with  other  metal.  They  coin  no  pieces  larger  than 
twenty-five  cents,  none  smaller  than  six  and  a  quar 
ter.  This  coin  is  considered  a  lawful  tender,  and  the 
laws  strictly  prohibit  the  carrying  of  any  foreign 
gold  or  silver  out  of  the  country,  on  penalty  of  for 
feiting  it.  This  compels  any  person  selling  a  cargo 
there  to  lay  the  returns  out  in  some  of  the  produce 
of  the  Island,  which  is  consequently  the  cause  of 
heavy  losses  to  the  shippers.  The  inhabitants  are  a 
mixed  race  of  black  and  white,  varying  in  color  from 
the  blackness  of  charcoal  to  almost  the  whiteness  of 
a  snow-ball,  and  hundreds  of  them  have  to  take  hard 
oaths  to  satisfy  the  authorities  that  they  have  some 
black  blood  running  through  their  veins,  which  en 
titles  them  to  the  rights  of  citizenship  in  the  Island. 
I  have  seen  many  red- whiskered  fair  complexioned 
men  pass  themselves  off  for  men  of  color.  Their 
national  religion  is  Roman  Catholic,  no  other  being 
tolerated,  but  strictly  prohibited.  The  president  keeps 
up  a  standing  army  of  forty  thousand  men,  well  uni 
formed,  disciplined  and  equiped.  As  I  shall  have  to 
refer  to  their  laws,  customs  and  manners  in  my  next 
voyage,  I  shall  leave  the  subject  for  the  present. 

Not  being  able  to  sell  my  timber  at  Port  au  Prince 
without  a  sacrifice,  my  consignee  applied  to  the  go 
vernment  agent  to  purchase  it,  of  which  he  acquaint 
ed  the  president,  who  gave  me  a  letter  addressed  to 


VOYAGES.  165 

the  public  administrator  of  Jerimie,  and  requesting 
me  to  proceed  with  my  vessel  and  cargo  to  that  port, 
which  I  immediately  complied  with,  after  getting  a 
letter  of  address  from  an  Italian  Jew  I  found  in  Port 
au  Prince,  but  who  resided  in  Jerimie,  addressed  to 
Messrs.  Laforet  &  Brier,  to  whom  I  consigned  my 
vessel  and  cargo.  On  my  arrival  at  that  place  my 
consignees  sold  to  the  administrator  all  the  timber  he 
wanted,  and  the  remainder  at  an  under  price  to  in 
dividuals.  My  provisions  sold  at  a  saving.  Jerimie 
contains  about  two  hundred  houses,  most  of  them 
being  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  in  consequence  of 
the  constant  alarm  in  which  the  inhabitants  have 
been  kept  by  a  troop  of  banditti,  headed  by  an  in 
surgent  colonel,  who  had  deserted  from  the  army, 
and  had  so  terrified  the  people  that  the  women  and 
children  took  shelter  in  the  forts  during  the  night, 
while  the  men  were  kept  under  arms,  being  obliged 
to  suspend  all  agricultural  pursuits,  and  leave  their 
villages  to  decay.  A  few  months  since,  the  chief  of 
the  banditti  had  been  killed,  his  troops  surrendered 
their  arms  and  received  a  pardon  from  the  presi 
dent.  The  inhabitants  were  now  making  great  pre 
parations  to  repair  their  buildings  and  call  back  their 
former  trade. 

While  in  this  port,  the  padre,  or  priest  died ;  he 
was  carried  to  the  church  in  a  chair,  being  tied  fast 
to  it,  in  a  sitting  posture,  a  book  placed  in  his  hands. 
The  corpse  remained  in  this  situation  until  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  a  marble  slab 


160  DUNHAM'S 

was  taken  out  of  the  floor,  an  excavation  made  in  the 
ground,  the  body  deposited  in  the  hole  with  the  clothes 
on,  and  then  covered  with  a  thick  coat  of  lime. 

A  friend  of  mine,  named  Ghio,  arrived  here  from 
Port  au  Prince  in  company  with  one  Captain  Mills, 
from  New- York,  and  while  he  and  the  captain  were 
walking  the  streets  of  Jerimie,  Ghio  for  the  first  heard 
of  the  death  of  the  padre,  when  bursting  into  a  flood  of 
tears,  he  exclaimed,  "  Captain  Mills  the  poor  padre 
is  dead,  and  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  fill  his  place 
again,"  weeping  at  the  same  time.  After  a  moments 
pause,  he  said,  "  Captain  Mills,  it  is  a  damned  good 
birth,  I  can  make  ten  dollars  a  day  by  it."  Ghio  act 
ed  as  a  substitute  in  the  place  of  the  deceased  padre 
until  his  place  was  supplied  by  another. 

I  remained  at  Jerimie  three  or  four  weeks,  em 
ployed  in  selling  out  my  cargo  and  obtaining  a  re 
turn  freight  of  coffee,  &c.  I  procured  many  orders 
for  house  frames  and  other  articles,  and  was  strong 
ly  urged  to  bring  out  some  carpenters  and  a  black 
smith,  whom  the  inhabitants  promised  to  aid  and  as 
sist  in  their  business.  Having  disposed  of  all  my 
cargo  and  taken  on  board  my  return  freight,  I  pro 
ceeded  to  sea,  bound  to  New-York,  where  I  arrived 
in  safety  after  a  passage  of  eighteen  days,  sold  my 
return  cargo,  and  sailed  for  Catskill,  where  I  arrived 
about  the  first  of  November.  I  then  repaired  the 
schooner  and  prepared  for  another  voyage. 


VOYAGES.  167 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Schooner  Felicity.— Second   Voyage. 

At  Catskill  I  procured  another  cargo,  filled  up  all 
my  orders,  and  taking  on  board  four  carpenters  as 
passengers,  bound  to  Jerimie,  sailed  for  New- York, 
where  we  remained  three  or  four  days  employed  in 
shipping  a  crew,  purchasing  stores,  &c.  We  sailed 
from  New- York  about  the  eighth  of  December,  and 
arrived  at  Jerimie  about  the  first  of  January,  1821. 
On  my  arrival  I  called  on  my  old  friends,  Leforet  & 
Brier,  where  I  was  politely  received,  particularly  by 
Mr.  Brier,  who  escorted  me  to  his  house  to  take 
breakfast.  After  inquiring  about  the  passage  of  my 
vessel,  news  in  New- York,  &c.  he  said  he  had  news 
to  tell  me.  I  told  him  I  should  be  pleased  to  hear  it. 
He  said,  "  Captain  Dunham,  we  have  got  a  new  padre 
here  since  you  left  for  home  ;  he  is  the  smartest  padre 
we  ever  had ;  he  can  beat  any  man  in  Jerimie  play 
ing  at  billiards,  boxing,  fencing,  or  jumping  ;  he  has 
killed  two  men  in  duels,  and  I  assure  you,  sir,  he  is 
the  smartest  padre  in  all  the  West  Indies." 

Among  the  orders  given  me,  was  one  for  thirty 
thousand  loose  cedar  shingles,  which,  when  landed 
on  the  beach,  I  learned  were  intended  to  re-cover 
the  church.  All  the  ladies  in  the  town  soon  assem 
bled  at  the  place  where  the  shingles  were  landed ; 


168  DUNHAM'S 

rich  and  poor,  some  dressed  in  silk,  and  others  with 
fine  muslin  gowns,  having  hoops  in  their  hands, 
which  they  stuck  full  of  shingles,  and  laying  them 
on  their  backs  carried  them  to  the  church,  when 
they  were  taken  by  the  carpenters,  who  put  them  on 
the  roof,  not  allowing  one  of  them  to  be  carted ;  thus 
showing  great  zeal  to  protect  from  contamination 
every  thing  connected  with  their  church. 

The  negroes  on  this  Island  are  far  more  nume 
rous  than  the  mulattoes,  mustees,  and  other  colors. 
The  old  mulattoes  being  the  heirs  of  their  former  mas 
ters,  were  many  of  them  sent  to  France  and  educa 
ted  ;  and  the  president  being  a  mulatto,  gives  them 
as  many  offices  as  he  dare ;  but  is  obliged  to  confer 
some  on  the  blacks  to  prevent  an  insurrection  ;  still 
I  found  there  was  considerable  hatred  between  them. 
One  day  while  walking  the  streets  I  heard  a  quarrel 
between  a  mulatto  and  a  negro.  The  mulatto  com 
menced,  "  What  are  you  doing,  nigger  ?"  the  negro 
replied,  "Who  are  you,  mulatto?  you  no  got  any 
country ;  white  man  got  country  and  negro  got  coun 
try,  mulatto  no  got  any  country,  he's  a  damned  mule." 

My  carpenters  landed  and  were  seeking  some 
employment,  when  they  were  informed  that  they 
could  not  make  any  contracts  in  their  own  names, 
being  white  men,  and  not  having  any  license,  and 
the  laws  of  the  country  not  allowing  a  white  man  to 
obtain  one.  To  obviate  this  a  petition  was  drawn 
up  and  signed  by  most  of  the  inhabitants,  and  sent 
to  the  president,  for  a  special  permit  for  the  eldest 


VOYAGES.  169 

carpenter  to  carry  on  his  trade.  Some  weeks  after 
the  president  sent  him  a  license,  the  rest  of  the  car 
penters  working  under  him.  I  was  very  fortunate  in 
the  disposal  of  my  cargo,  most  of  it  selling  at  a  good 
profit,  and  by  paying  a  large  premium  I  procured 
about  twenty  hundred  Spanish  dollars,  which  were 
smuggled  on  board  and  brought  to  New- York. 

Coffee  being  high  in  that  port,  I  was  obliged,  in 
purchasing  it,  to  dispose  of  the  St.  Domingo  coin  I 
received  in  payment  for  my  cargo.  Being  ready  for 
sea,  I  took  leave  of  my  friends  and  sailed  for  New- 
York,  where  we  arrived  about  the  first  of  May,  1821. 
The  schooner  having  proved  leaky  on  the  passage,  I 
refused  to  make  another  voyage  in  her.  Soon  after 
my  arrival  in  New- York  I  received  a  letter  from  my 
old  friend,  Mr.  Apollos  Cooke,  of  Catskill,  advising 
me  to  purchase,  on  our  joint  account,  a  schooner 
called  the  Combine,  which  was  now  laying  in  New- 
York,  and  could  be  procured  very  cheap.  On  view 
ing  the  Combine  I  found  her  timbers  sound,  but  her 
decks  and  upper  works  badly  worn,  so  I  called  on 
the  agent,  and  after  some  time  spent  in  chaffering, 
purchased  her  and  left  for  Catskill,  where  I  arrived 
about  the  26th  of  May. 


170  DUNHAM'S 


CHAPTER    XX. 


Schooner   Combine. 

"  A  wolf  will  not  a  wolf  ensnare, 
"  And  tigers  their  own  species  spare, 
"  Man  more  ferocious,  bends  his  bow, 
"  And  at  his  fellow  aims  the  blow." 

• 

After  the  arrival  of  the  Combine  at  Catskill,  we 
had  her  well  examined  by  a  carpenter,  who  found 
her  timbers  sound.  We  then  agreed  to  repair  her  by 
laying  a  new  deck,  putting  in  new  ceiling,  and  giv 
ing  her  a  thorough  overhauling,  so  as  to  fit  her  for  a 
sea  voyage,  which  was  done  at  an  expense  of  nine 
hundred  dollars.  Large  quantities  of  freight  was 
offered  for  shipment,  which  I  advised  to  take  some 
part  of,  informing  my  partner  in  the  vessel,  Mr.  A. 
Cooke,  that  I  had  but  little  over  two  thousand  dollars, 
which  would  fall  short  of  paying  for  one-half  of  the 
vessel  and  cargo ;  but  he  preferred  our  owning  the 
whole  cargo  jointly,  saying,  "I  will  advance  you 
any  money  you  may  want  until  you  make  the  voy 
age."  We  then  purchased  a  suitable  cargo  and  filled 
up  many  orders  I  had  brought  from  Jerimie.  After 
we  had  gathered  all  our  bills  together,  I  found  my 
money  exhausted  and  myself  indebted  five  hundred 
and  seventy-two  dollars  to  my  partner.  The  vessel 


VOYAGES.  171 

being  repaired  and  loaded,  we  took  on  board  four 
passengers,  bound  to  Jerimie,  and  sailed  for  New- 
York.  On  my  arrival  at  New- York  I  made  it  my 
first  business  to  apply  to  the  Marine  Insurance  Office 
for  insurance,  expecting  I  should  have  to  pay  an  ex 
tra  premium,  my  vessel  being  seventeen  years  old. 
After  applying  at  all  the  offices  in  the  city,  and  pro 
ducing  a  certificate  from  old  respectable  carpenters, 
and  some  of  our  best  citizens,  that  they  considered 
her  timbers  as  good  as  any  North  River  vessel  ot 
two  years  old,  my  application  was  rejected,  and  I 
had  no  alternative  but  to  proceed  to  sea  as  my  own 
insurer,  having  my  little  all  at  stake,  except  a  small 
homestead.  I  shipped  a  crew  and  made  the  necessa 
ry  preparation,  put  to  sea  about  the  10th  of  August, 
and  shaped  my  course  for  Jerimie,  where  we  arrived 
the  sixth  of  September. 

On  my  arrival  at  that  port  I  sold  my  cargo,  as 
usual,  with  the  assistance  of  my  former  consignees, 
Messrs.  Laforet  &  Brier.  Jerimie  being  a  dangerous 
port  in  heavy  gales  of  wind,  I  was  advised  to  send 
my  vessel  to  Corail,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  to 
remain  a  few  weeks,  it  being  a  safe  harbor,  while  I 
remained  in  Jerimie  to  collect  debts  and  procure  a 
return  cargo.  After  remaining  here  some  fourteen 
or  fifteen  days,  I  was  attacked  with  a  violent  fever, 
which  confined  me  to  the  bed  until  the  vessel  was 
ready  for  sea,  when  I  was  taken  on  board,  hoping 
the  air  would  restore  me  to  health.  After  being  at 
sea  some  thirty-six  hours,  my  mate  found  the  fever 


172  DUNHAM'S 

increasing  on  me  so  fast  that  he  gave  up  all  hopes  of 
my  recovery,  and  asked  my  permission  to  return  to 
Jerimie,  to  which  I  consented.  The  vessel  was  put 
about  and  steered  for  that  port,  we  neared  the  en 
trance  of  the  harbor  early  the  next  morning,  when 
I  thought  the  fever  began  to  abate,  and  requested  the 
mate  to  put  to  sea  again  and  proceed  toward  home. 
My  health  improving  slowly,  I  was  helped  on  deck 
every  morning,  where  I  remained  during  the  day, 
lying  under  a  small  awning  to  screen  me  from  the 
scorching  sun,  and  helped  into  the  cabin  at  night  to 
protect  me  from  the  heavy  dews.  My  health  con 
tinued  to  improve  daily.  On  the  eleventh  day  of  Oc 
tober  we  discovered  land  ahead,  which  proved  to  be 
the  south  side  of  the  Island  of  Cuba.  Finding  it  impos 
sible  to  beat  up  against  the  current,  we  concluded  to 
run  round  the  west  end  of  the  island.  Nothing  ma 
terial  occurred  until  the  thirteenth  of  October,  in  the 
morning,  when  I  discovered  land,  which  I  identified 
as  Cape  Antonio ;  my  health  by  this  time  was  so 
much  improved  that  I  was  able  to  get  on  deck  with 
out  assistance.  I  told  the  mate  to  go  below  and  get 
some  repose,  he  having  had  but  little  rest  during  my 
sickness,  and  that  I  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
passage  round  the  Cape. 

About  nine  o'clock,  while  doubling  the  Cape,  we 
discovered  three  small  schooners,  one  small  sloop, 
and  a  large  open  boat  lying  at  anchor  about  two 
miles  from  the  land.  In  about  the  space  of  fifteen 
minutes  the  whole  fleet  got  under  weigh  and  bore 


VOYAGES.  173 

down  for  us.  One  of  the  largest  schooners  ran  down 
within  musket-shot  of  us,  fired  a  gun,  and  we  hove 
too,  while  the  rest  of  the  fleet  surrounded  us.  The 
largest  schooner  immediately  sent  a  boat  alongside 
of  us,  containing  eight  or  nine  men,  who  boarded  us 
with  muskets  and  drawn  cutlasses  in  their  hands, 
each  of  them  having  a  long  knife  and  a  dagger  slung 
by  his  side.  Immediately  after  getting  on  deck,  one 
of  them  cried  out,  "  Foward,"  two  or  three  times  in 
broken  English,  pointing  at  the  same  time  toward 
the  fore-castle.  The  mate,  sailors,  and  two  passen 
gers  who  were  on  board,  ran  forward  and  jumped 
into  the  fore-castle.  I  being  very  weak,  dragged 
along  slowly,  when  the  man  who  gave  the  order 
commenced  beating  me  severely  with  the  broad  side 
of  his  cutlass.  I  remonstrated  with  him,  saying  I 
was  sick  and  could  not  walk  any  faster ;  he  answer 
ed  me,  "  No  intended  I  then  discovered  he  was  a  Por 
tuguese,  and  not  understanding  that  language,  I  ex 
cused  myself  as  well  as  I  could  in  the  French  lan 
guage,  hoping  he  understood  me ;  but  I  found  it  did 
not  relieve  my  back,  as  he  continued  to  beat  me  all 
the  way  to  the  fore-scuttle,  and  there  giving  me  a 
heavy  blow  on  the  head  as  I  descended,  closed  it, 
where  we  remained  about  half  an  hour ;  they  in  the 
meantime  appeared  to  be  searching  the  vessel.  After 
letting  us  up  from  the  fore- castle  they  ordered  the 
sailors  to  work  the  vessel  in  near  the  land  and  anchor 
her,  which  was  soon  accomplished.  While  beating 
the  vessel  toward  the  shore,  they  told  me  if  I  would 


174  DUNHAM'S 

give  up  my  money  they  would  let  me  go  with  my 
vessel.  This  I  readily  complied  with,  hoping  to  save 
the  vessel  and  cargo.  I  then  gave  them  all  the 
money  I  had,  consisting  of  four  hundred  and  eighty 
dollars  in  gold  and  silver.  After  they  had  received 
it  they  broke  open  our  trunks,  seized  all  our  clothes, 
taking  the  finest  shirts  and  vests,  and  putting  them 
on  one  over  another. 

As  soon  as  they  had  anchored  my  vessel  they 
hauled  their  largest  schooner  alongside,  while  the 
rest  of  the  fleet  were  laying  within  a  few  rods  of 
us,  and  then  all  hoisted  the  bloody  flag,  a  signal  for 
death.  I  was  ordered  into  the  cabin,  where  one  of 
the  pirates,  having  found  a  bottle  of  cordial,  took  it 
up  in  one  hand,  and  drawing  his  cutlass  with  the 
other,  struck  off  the  neck  and  handed  it  to  me,  flou 
rishing  his  cutlass  over  my  head,  and  making  signs 
for  me  to  taste  it,  which  I  found  it  difficult  to  do  on 
account  of  the  broken  particles  of  glass.  After  I  had 
tasted  it  he  went  to  a  case  of  liquor  standing  in  the 
cabin,  took  out  the  bottles  and  compelled  me  to  taste 
of  them.  After  this  ceremony  was  over  one  of  the 
pirates  drew  a  long  knife  from  its  sheath,  and  taking 
hold  of  the  hair  on  the  top  of  my  head,  drew  the 
knife  two  or  three  times  across  my  throat  near  the 
skin,  saying,  "  Me  want  to  kill  you."  Another  pirate 
soon  approached  me  with  a  dagger,  with  which  he 
pricked  me  lightly  in  the  body,  two  or  three  times, 
saying,  "Me  kill  you  by  and  by."  I  was  then  dis 
missed  from  the  cabin  and  driven  into  the  fore-castle 


VOYAGES.  175 

with  the  sailors  and  passengers.  My  cook  was  put 
on  board  the  schooner  lying  alongside  of  us.  Some 
of  the  pirates  went  aloft  on  board  my  vessel  and  cut 
loose  her  square-sail,  top-sail,  and  top-gallant-sail, 
and  afterwards  took  our  fore-sail,  boat,  oars,  loose 
rigging,  one  compass,  one  quadrant,  all  our  beds 
and  bedding,  tea-kettle,  all  our  crockery,  knives  and 
forks,  buckets,  &c.  leaving  us  destitute  of  every  kind 
of  cooking  utensil  except  the  caboose.  We  remained 
some  time  in  the  fore-castle,  when  suddenly  the  fore- 
scuttle  was  opened  and  the  mate  called  on  deck,  and 
the  scuttle  again  closed,  leaving  us  in  the  dark  in 
a  state  of  uncertainty.  We  soon  heard  them  beating 
the  mate  ;  after  that  noise  had  ceased,  we  heard  the 
word,  "Fire,"  given  with  a  loud  voice,  then  after 
a  moment's  pause  another  voice  was  heard,  saying, 
"Heave  him  overboard."  I  had  a  desperate  sailor, 
called  Bill,  who  flew  to  his  chest  for  his  razor  to  cut 
his  own  throat,  saying  he  would  be  damned  before 
he  would  be  murdered  by  them  rascals.  The  pirates 
had  previously  robbed  the  sailors'  chests  of  all  the 
articles  they  contained,  and  among  them  Bill's  razor. 
After  a  little  while  the  scuttle  was  again  opened, 
when  they  called  for  a  sailor.  There  were  four  in 
the  fore-castle,  who  looked  earnestly  at  each  other, 
when  Brown,  a  favourite  old  sailor,  arose  and  ad 
dressed  me,  saying,  "  Captain,  I  suppose  1  might  as 
well  die  first  as  last,"  then  taking  me  by  the  hand 
gave  it  a  hearty  shake,  saying,  "  Good  bye."  I  told 
Brown  to  plead  with  them  in  the  French  language, 


1*76  DUNHAM'S 

as  I  thought  I  had  seen  some  Frenchmen  among 
them,  and  knew  that  he  spoke  French  fluently. 
When  he  had  got  upon  deck  I  heard  him  speak  a 
few  words  in  that  language,  but  soon  after  we  heard 
them  beating  him  severely.  As  soon  as  they  had  fin 
ished  beating  him  we  again  heard  the  word  fire,  and 
soon  after,  heave  him  overboard.  Shortly  after,  the 
scuttle  was  again  opened  and  the  captain  was  loud 
ly  called.  I  crawled  up  the  scuttle,  being  very  feeble ; 
they  then  told  me  if  I  did  not  tell  them  where  the 
money  was  they  would  serve  me  as  they  had  the 
mate  and  sailor,  shoot  and  then  throw  me  overboard. 
I  still  persisted  that  there  was  no  money  on  board, 
and  entreated  them  to  search  the  vessel.  An  old 
Spaniard  was  pointed  out  to  me  who  they  said  was 
the  commodore.  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted  of  me, 
looking  him  earnestly  in  the  face.  He  replied,  he 
wanted  my  money.  I  told  him  I  had  no  money,  but 
if  I  had  I  would  give  it  to  him ;  that  the  property  be 
longed  to  him,  but  he  had  no  right  to  take  my  life, 
as  I  had  a  family  depending  on  me  for  support.  Pre 
vious  to  this,  the  man  who  had  flogged  me  before 
had  made  a  chalk  ring  on  the  deck,  saying,  "  Stand 
there,"  beating  me  with  the  flat  side  of  a  heavy  cut 
lass  until  the  blood  ran  through  my  shirt.  During 
my  conversation  with  the  commodore,  finding  all  my 
entreaties  unsuccessful,  and  my  strength  much  ex 
hausted,  I  took  a  firm  stand  in  the  ring  marked  out 
for  me,  hoping  to  receive  a  ball  through  the  heart, 
fearing  if  I  was  wounded  I  should  be  tortured  to  death 


VOYAGES.  177 

to  make  sport  for  the  demons.  Two  of  the  pirates 
with  loaded  muskets  took  their  stand  and  fired  them 
toward  me,  when  I  cast  my  eyes  down  toward  my 
feet  looking  for  blood,  thinking  that  I  might  have 
been  wounded  without  feeling  the  pain.  During  this 
time  the  man  who  had  beat  me  before  commenced 
beating  me  again,  pointing  aft  toward  the  cabin  door, 
where  I  proceeded,  followed  by  him,  beating  me  all 
the  time :  he  forced  me  into  the  cabin,  at  the  same 
time  giving  me  a  severe  blow  over  the  head  with  his 
cutlass.  When  I  entered  I  found  both  the  mate  and 
sailor  there  whom  I  supposed  had  been  murder 
ed  and  thrown  overboard.  The  next  person  called 
out  of  the  fore-castle  was  Mr.  Peck,  a  passenger, 
who  was  immediately  asked  where  the  money  was ; 
he  told  them  he  knew  of  no  more  money  on  board. 
One  man  stood  before  him  with  a  musket  and  another 
with  a  cutlass,  they  knocked  him  down  and  beat  him 
for  some  time,  took  him  by  the  hair  and  said  they 
would  kill  him.  He  was  then  ordered  to  set  upon  the 
bit  of  the  windlass  to  be  shot  and  thrown  overboard, 
as  the  captain  and  others  had  been.  He  took  his 
station  by  the  windlass,  when  a  musket  was  fired  at 
him  ;  he  was  then  driven  into  the  cabin.  They  then 
called  up  the  remainder  of  the  men  from  the  fore 
castle,  one  after  the  other,  and  beat  and  drove  them 
into  the  cabin  also,  except  a  Mr.  Chollet,  a  young 
man,  passenger,  who  escaped  beating.  We  were  kept 
in  the  cabin  some  time,  and  after  repeated  threats 

that  they  would  kill  us,  were  all  driven  into  the  fore- 
8* 


1Y8  DUNHAM'S 

castle  again.  They  took  out  all  our  cargo,  consisting 
of  coffee,  cocoa,  tortoise-shell,  eight  kedge  anchors, 
all  our  provisions,  except  part  of  a  barrel  of  beef  and 
about  thirty  pounds  of  bread.  After  they  had  taken 
all  the  cargo,  spare  rigging,  &c.  of  any  value,  they 
shifted  all  the  ballast  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel  in 
search  of  money,  and  calling  us  on  deck,  we  were 
told  to  be  off.  After  getting  under  weigh  we  pro 
ceeded  but  slowly,  having  no  other  sails  left  but  the 
two  jibs  and  the  main-sail.  We  looked  back  with  a 
great  deal  of  anxiety,  and  saw  the  pirates  seated  on 
the  deck  of  the  largest  schooner,  drinking  liquor  and 
making  themselves  merry,  while  we  feared  that  they 
might  change  their  minds,  pursue  us  and  take  our 
lives.  Night  beginning  to  approach,  I  thought  best 
to  go  down  into  the  cabin  and  see  what  we  had  left 
to  eat  or  drink.  As  soon  as  I  had  reached  the  cabin, 
it  being  dark,  I  stumbled  against  something^ on  the 
floor,  which  I  found  to  be  our  cook,  whom  we  suppos 
ed  we  had  left  behind,  having  seen  the  pirates  put 
him  on  board  the  schooner  which  was  lying  alongside 
of  us,  but  kne"w  nothing  of  his  return.  I  spoke  to  him, 
but  received  no  answer,!  hustled  him  about  the  cabin, 
but  could  not  make  him  speak.  I  at  last  got  a  light 
and  looked  about  for  some  provisions,  cooking  uten 
sils,  &c.  and  found  about  thirty  pounds  of  bread,  a  lit 
tle  broken  coffee,  and  most  of  a  barrel  of  beef,  but  no 
cooking  utensils  except  the  caboose,  with  one  or  two 
pots  set  in  it.  The  next  morning  I  called  all  hands 
into  the  cabin,  showed  all  the  bread  we  had  left,  and 


VOYAGES.  179 

told  them  it  was  necessary  to  go  on  allowance  of 
one  biscuit  a  day  per  man,  which  was  agreed  to,  un 
til  we  could  get  further  supplies.  I  then  questioned 
the  cook,  (knowing  that  he  was  driven  into  the  hold 
of  the  pirate  schooner,)  as  to  what  kind  of  a  cargo  she 
had.  He  said  there  were  calicoes  and  all  kinds  of 
dry  goods  scattered  about,  and  more  than  a  hundred 
demijohns ;  and  "  O  captain,  it  was  the  best  old  Ja 
maica  rum  that  you  ever  tasted."  I  told  him  if  the 
pirates  had  caught  him  drinking  their  rum  they  would 
have  killed  him.  He  said  it  looked  so  tempting  he 
thought  he  would  try  it.  I  suppose  that  after  having 
drank  a  large  quantity  he  made  his  escape  on  board 
of  the  Combine  before  he  felt  the  effects  of  it,  as  he 
was  not  aware  of  our  release. 

The  next  day  we  were  boarded  by  a  boat  from  a 
Spanish  man-of-war  brig.  I  plead  hard  with  the  offi 
cer  who  boarded  us  to  go  in  pursuit  of  the  pirates, 
which  he  refused  to  do,  saying  it  was  out  of  their 
limits  to  cruise.  I  asked  him  for  a  supply  of  bread, 
which  he  denied  me.  In  our  crippled  state  we  reach 
ed  Havanna  in  nine  days,  where  we  put  in  for 
supplies. 

On  my  arrival  at  Havanna  I  was  met  by  Captain 
Dimond,  master  of  the  brig  Harriet,  of  Baltimore, 
who  had  been  robbed  by  these  pirates  at  the  same 
place,  on  the  12th  of  October.  Captain  Dimond  in 
formed  me  that  the  pirates  put  a  rope  around  his 
neck  and  hoisted  him  up  to  the  fore-yard  of  the  brig 
three  times,  and  then  let  the  rope  loose,  which  caused 


180  DUNHAM'S 

him  to  fall  on  the  deck,  where  he  lay  insensible  for 
some  time.  I  asked  him  why  he  did  not  give  up  his 
money  as  I  had  done.  He  said  that  twenty-five  hun 
dred  dollars  of  the  money  belonged  to  himself,  which 
was  all  he  was  worth,  and  having  a  family  to  sup 
port,  he  thought  he  had  almost  as  well  part  with  his 
life  as  his  money.  After  he  had  recovered  his  senses 
they  made  another  attempt  to  put  the  rope  round  his 
neck  the  fourth  time,  when  one  of  the  pirates  told  his 
comrade  to  let  him  alone,  because  he  had  children. 
They  hauled  their  vessels  alongside  of  his  brig  and 
took  out  all  his  cargo,  also  the  greatest  part  of  the 
brig's  sails,  rigging,  &c.  together  with  twelve  thou 
sand  dollars,  which  they  found  while  removing  a 
quantity  of  fire- wood,  and  then  let  him  depart. 

I  proceeded  to  the  American  Consul's  office,  hav 
ing  on  an  old  straw  hat,  which  the  pirates  had  put 
on  my  head  in  place  of  my  own,  an  old  ragged  jacket, 
one  pump,  one  shoe,  and  an  empty  pocket.  I  entered 
a  protest,  and  asked  him  to  render  me  some  assis 
tance,  for  which  I  would  give  him  a  draft  on  New- 
York  at  sight.  This  he  refused  unless  I  would  bot 
tom  the  vessel,  but  referred  me  to  the  house  of  Grey, 
Fenandes,  &  Co.  who  attended  to  my  wants  in  the 
most  friendly  manner.  Three  days  after,  the  ship 
Lucies,  of  Charleston,  arrived  in  the  harbor,  having 
a  prize-master  on  board,  who  informed  me  that  the 
United  States  Brig  Enterprise,  Captain  Kearney, 
had  re-captured  the  Lucies  from  these  pirates,  and 
had  taken  three  of  the  piratical  vessels,  (the  crews 


VOYAGES.  181 

having  escaped  to  the  shore,)  and  sailed  for  some 
port  of  the  United  States.  I  called  again  on  Mr. 
Grey,  and  told  him  that  Captain  Kearney  would 
probably  steer  for  Charleston  or  New  Orleans  with 
his  prizes,  and  I  felt  anxious  to  communicate  with 
him  as  soon  as  possible,  to  reclaim  my  property.  He 
said  they  had  a  very  respectable  correspondent  in 
Charleston,  named  John  Stoney,  to  whom  he  would 
write  to  claim  my  property  forme  if  he  should  arrive 
in  that  port ;  that  I  could  write  to  Captain  Kearney 
and  enclose  his  letter  to  Mr.  Stoney.  Fearing  he 
might  sail  for  New  Orleans,  I  addressed  a  letter  to  a 
friend  of  mine  living  there,  to  claim  the  property  for 
me,  should  the  Enterprise  arrive  at  that  port. 

I  learned  here  that  these  pirates  had  been  fitted 
out  in  this  port,  where  most  of  their  cargoes  were  to 
be  disposed  of,  and  was  advised  not  to  make  much 
noise  about  my  robbery,  as  they  had  many  friends 
here  who  would  assassinate  me.  I  found  a  number 
of  American  vessels  here,  but  got  little  assistance 
from  any  of  them  except  the  captain  of  a  small  sloop 
from  Bristol,  Rhode  Island,  who  tendered  me  a  loan 
of  thirty  dollars,  for  which  he  got  my  draft  on  New- 
York.  He  gave  me  many  articles  which  I  stood  in 
need  of,  for  which  I  shall  ever  feel  grateful.  After 
my  vessel  was  under  weigh  the  captain  of  a  Balti 
more  ship,  who  had  arrived  an  hour  before,  learning 
my  misfortune,  sent  his  boatalongside  with  a  barrel 
of  beef,  some  flour,  wine,  &c.  with  a  message  to  me, 
saying,  if  I  wanted  any  other  articles  he  would  send 


182  DUNHAM    S 

them  on  board.  We  put  to  sea  with  next  to  no  con 
veniences,  having  no  beds  or  bedding,  and  but  three 
or  four  knives  and  forks,  some  trifling  cooking  uten 
sils,  and  all  my  wardrobe  on  my  back.  Without  any 
additional  sails  for  our  vessel  we  shaped  our  course 
for  New- York.  The  winds  proving  favorable  we 
performed  the  passage  in  sixteen  days. 

For  a  particular  account  of  the  capture  of  the 
piratical  vessels  I  refer  the  reader  to  the  following 
letter,  published  in  the  papers  of  the  day : 

"  Capture  of  the  Aristides  by  Pirates. 

"Copy  of  a  letter  from  Captain  Couthony,  late  master  of  Brig 
Aristides,  to  Mr.  Edward  Cruft,  the  owner,  in  this  town,  giv 
ing  the  particulars  of  the  capture  of  that  vessel  by  pirates. 

"At  Sea,  United  States  Brig  Enterprise,  October  24,  1821. 

"  Dear  Sir : — The  melancholy  news  which  I  am 
about  to  relate  will  be  extremely  afflicting  to  you. 
We  sailed  from  Liverpool  the  28th  of  August,  and 
had  a  very  pleasant  passage  till  off  the  west  end  of 
Cuba,  which  we  made  on  the  15th  of  October  at  6 
P.  M.  When  off  Cape  Antonio  were  assailed  by  five 
piratical  vessels,  three  schooners,  one  sloop,  and  an 
open  boat ;  the  latter  after  firing  several  shots  at  us 
came  alongside  with  nine  men  in  her;  the  men 
mounted  the  deck,  armed  with  cutlasses,  pistols  and 
dirks ;  on  coming  on  board  one  took  the  helm,  ano 
ther  knocked  me  down,  seized  my  watch,  &c.  and 
the  others  ran  into  the  cabin.  By  this  time  the  other 
pirates  got  close  around  us,  and  I  discovered  they 


VOYAGES.  183 

were. about  to  run  my  vessel  on  shore.  On  begging 
them  to  desist  from  this  design,  I  was  again  knocked 
down ;  on  rising,  a  musket  was  pointed  at  me  and 
one  of  the  villains  made  several  passes  at  me  with  a 
dagger,  which  I  avoided  by  running  forward. 

"  We  were  soon  in  shoal  water,  when  I  again 
begged  of  them  for  .God's  sake  not  to  run  the  vessel 
ashore.  They  ordered  us  to  let  go  the  anchor. 

"  I  then  went  into  the  cabin,  where  I  found  all  my 
trunks,  chest,  &c.  on  the  floor,  and  the  pirates  filling 
bags,  handkerchiefs,  &c.  with  my  clothes.  They  took 
my  chronometer  and  everything  I  had,  even  robbing 
me  of  the  jacket  I  had  on,  and  leaving  me  almost 
naked.  They  then  ordered  us  to  open  the  hatches, 
beating  every  one  of  the  crew  they  came  across,  de 
claring  they  would  kill  every  man  on  board,  begin 
ning  with  me,  saying  they  were  pirates,  and  should 
not  be  discovered.  During  the  night  our  vessel  be 
gan  to  strike  very  hard,  when  they  compelled  us  to 
weigh  anchor  and  the  vessel  was  run  on  shore. 

'-  They  then  commenced  loading  their  craft  with 
the  most  valuable  part  of  our  goods,  remarking  that 
we  should  be  put  to  death  in  the  morning  to  prevent 
discovery.  They  struck  me  down  several  times,  beat 
ing  the  mate  and  threatening  him  with  instant  death 
if  he  did  not  discover  where  the  most  valuable  goods 
were.  They  nearly  strangled  the  boy,  bidding  him 
tell  where  my  money  was  stowed.  In  the  morning 
they  had  one  of  their  cruisers  loaded  with  dry  goods, 
and  a  number  of  packages  in  the  others ;  when  on 


184  DUNHAM'S 

the  16th,  at  7  A.  M.  a  sail  was  discovered  coming 
round  the  Cape,  They  then  consulted  on  the  expe 
diency  of  murdering  me ;  but  one,  more  humane 
than  the  others,  dissuaded  them  from  committing 
the  crime.  Perceiving  the  sail  to  be  a  vessel  of  war, 
they  took  to  their  boats,  pulled  for  their  vessels  and 
immediately  proceeded  along  shore. 

"  They  had  stove  our  yawl  to  prevent  our  using 
her,  but  we  patched  her  so  that  she  floated,  and 
went  on  board  the  vessel  that  was  approaching.  She 
proved  to  be  the  United  States  Brig  Enterprise, 
L.  Kearney,  Esq.  commander.  I  stated  to  him  my 
dreadful  situation,  and  pointed  out  to  him  the  five 
piratical  vessels  in  shore ;  he  immediately  made  all 
sail  in  pursuit,  but  a  reef  prevented  his  getting  within 
gun-shot.  He  armed  all  the  boats,  and  with  the 
crews  of  the  ship  Lucies,  and  an  English  brig,  which 
were  likewise  in  the  hands  of  the  pirates,  gave  them 
chase,  and  overhauling  them  fast,  they  rowed  their 
vessels  on  shore  inside  the  Cape,  set  the  loaded  one 
on  fire,  and  took  to  the  woods.  Lieutenant  M'Intosh, 
who  went  on  the  expedition,  took  four  of  the  vessels, 
the  boat  having  escaped.  The  vessel  sat  on  fire 
was  entirely  destroyed,  but  few  remnants  of  goods 
were  saved,  and  those  partly  burnt.  The  pirates  had 
a  train  of  powder  to  blow  up  the  vessel  on  the  ap 
proach  of  the  boats. 

"  On  the  1 7th,  at  noon,  Capt.  Kearney  brought  all 
the  vessels  at  anchor  near  our  wreck,  and  sent  his 
crew  to  our  assistance,  the  Combine  being  in  a  bilged 


VOYAGES.  185 

condition,  with  seven  feet  of  water  in  her  hold,  and 
her  rudder  unshipped.  He  then  loaded  three  of  the 
late  piratical  vessels  out  of  the  cargo  of  the  Aris- 
tides,  also  the  American  Schooner  Bold  Commander, 
of  Staten  Island,  with  goods,  one  cable,  and  some  of 
her  sails.  The  brig  has  on  board  some  goods,  a  chain 
cable  and  a  hawser,  the  latter  taken  from  the  pirates. 

"  Captain  Kearney,  after  having  done  his  utmost, 
and  saved  all  he  could,  in  loading  the  four  vessels 
and  his  brig,  set  the  wreck  on  fire  on  the  20th,  at  7 
p.  M.  and  remained  by  her  until  she  was  burnt  to 
the  water's  edge.  She  was  in  ten  feet  of  water  when 
I  abandoned  her,  8  A.  M.  all  in  flames.  This  whole 
dreadful  calamity  has  nearly  overpowered  me.  A 
Columbian  schooner  of  one  long  gun  and  eighty  men 
likewise  anchored  near  the  wreck  before  she  was 
destroyed,  and  took  a  few  casks  porter  and  a  few 
bales  goods,  which  would  otherwise  have  been  burnt 
with  the  vessel.  This  was  done  with  the  consent  of 
Captain  Kearney  after  he  had  loaded  all  the  other 
vessels. 

"  I  shall  ever  be  grateful  to  Captain  Kearney  for 
his  kind  assistance,  friendship  and  hospitality.  He 
offered  me  his  own  clothes,  as  I  was  destitute  of 
everything.  He  will  call  at  Havanna,  and  from 
thence  proceed  to  Charleston,  where  he  will  deliver 
the  vessels  and  goods  to  the  proper  authorities." 

Captain  Kearney  proceeded  with  his  prizes  to 
Charleston,  where  the  vessels  and  goods  were  con 
demned,  and  sold  within  eleven  days  after  his  arrival 


186  DUNHAM'S 

to  accommodate  him  and  his  crew,  when  he  sailed  on 
another  cruise.  This  gave  me  no  opportunity  to  re 
claim  my  property,  Mr.  Stoney  having  neglected  to 
claim  it  for  me.  Some  weeks  after,  having  learned 
that  the  property  had  been  carried  into  Charleston 
and  sold,  I  proceeded  to  that  place  and  applied  to  the 
District  Judge  of  the  United  States,  who,  after  a  de 
tention  of  thirty  days,  awarded  me  about  seven  hun 
dred  dollars.  A  large  portion  of  the  coffee,  and  other 
articles,  which  were  taken  on  board  my  vessel  at 
Jerimie  during  my  sickness,  not  being  marked,  caus 
ed  much  difficulty  in  identifying  them.  I  saw  in  the 
possession  of  purchasers  at  that  sale,  eight  anchors, 
two  saddles,  four  bridles,  a  number  of  coffee  bags, 
and  other  articles  of  mine  ;  also  a  quantity  of  tortoise 
shell,  which  cost  me  eight  dollars  per  pound.  The 
expenses  on  what  I  recovered  consumed  the  greatest 
part  of  the  goods  ;  deducting  one-fourth  for  salvage, 
duties,  cartage,  storage,  commissions,  court  fees,  &c. 
the  remainder  went  into  the  Treasury  of  the  United 
States,  or  should  have  gone  there.  I  have  petitioned 
Congress  for  some  remuneration,  which  claim  has 
been  denied. 

On  my  arrival  in  New- York  (being  literally  cloth 
ed  with  rags)  I  was  met  on  the  way  to  my  boarding 
house  by  some  of  my  kind  friends,  who  took  me  to 
their  houses  and  fitted  me  with  a  temporary  suit  of 
clothes,  and  some  of  them  advanced  me  money  to 
purchase  more.  Mr.  Luman  Reed  loaned  me  two  or 
three  hundred  dollars  to  pay  the  wages  due  my  crew, 


VOYAGES.  187 

and  defray  other  expenses.  Soon  after,  I  proceeded 
to  Catskill  with  the  schooner,  sold  one  halt* 
of  my  interest  in  her ;  and  after  paying  my  old  friend, 
Mr.  A.  Cooke,  all  the  money  he  had  advanced  on  the 
out  bound  cargo  for  me,  I  proceeded  to  Charleston  to 
claim  my  property,  as  I  have  before  related. 

On   my  return  from  that  port  we  refitted  the 
Combine  with  new  sails,  rigging,  &c.  and  agreed  to 
take  out  an  assorted  cargo  in  her  hold,  and  a  dec 
load  of  horses,  to  the  Island  of  St.  Domingo. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

Schooner    Combine.— Second    Voyage. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  1822,  we  commenced 
loading  at  Catskill,  and  finished  in  about  ten  days, 
when  we  sailed  for  New- York,  where  I  shipped  a 
crew  and  left  for  Cape  Francios,  in  the  Island  of  St. 
Domingo.  We  met  with  light  winds  and  strong  cur 
rents  on  the  passage,  which  carried  us  some  distance 
to  the  leeward  of  our  course,  and  obliged  me  to  put 
into  the  harbor  of  Port-au-Prince,  where  we  arrived 
without  any  material  incident.  I  landed  my  horses, 
and  having  procured  a  stable  for  them,  was  advised 
to  select  ten  or  twelve  of  the  handsomest  and  pro 
ceed  with  them  to  the  president's  country  seat,  about 


188  DUNHAM'S 

six  miles  from  the  city,  where  he  was  confined  by  ill 
health.  This  I  consented  to  as  a  matter  of  courtesy, 
and  a  black  colonel,  named  Burblong,  volunteered  to 
accompany  me.  I  took  my  hostler  and  an  interpre 
ter  and  proceeded  to  his  house.  At  his  residence 
there  was  an  extensive  park  enclosed  by  a  high  brick 
wall,  which  we  entered  after  passing  two  armed  sen 
tries,  when  we  drew  near  to  a  large  wrooden  build- 
^  ing  fitted  up  in  good  style,  having  a  piazza  all  round 
it,  and  six  or  eight  sentries  walking  on  it,  well  armed 
and  uniformed.  As  we  approached  the  outside  door 
of  the  house  we  found  a  sentry  stationed  there,  who 
conducted  us  into  the  hall,  where  we  found  another 
who  conducted  us  into  the  president's  room,  which 
was  splendidly  furnished,  where  I  was  introduced  to 
his  excellency  by  Colonel  Burblong.  After  the  intro 
duction  was  over,  he  invited  us  to  take  a  glass  of 
wine  with  him.  The  horses  were  then  brought  near 
the  door,  which,  having  examined,  he  said  were 
worth  two  hundred  dollars  apiece;  but  since  I  had 
been  so  polite  as  to  call  on  him,  he  would  give  me 
two  hundred  and  fifty  for  as  many  as  his  groom 
should  select.  The  president  is  about  six  feet  in 
height,  of  a  mulatto  color,  rather  thin  in  flesh,  and 
makes  a  good  appearance  on  horseback,  particular 
ly  in  reviewing  his  army,  who  perform  their  evolu 
tions  in  the  most  graceful  and  soldier-like  manner.  I 
sold  the  president  one  pair  of  horses,  and  disposed  of 
a  few  to  individuals  at  a  fair  profit ;  the  remainder 
sold  at  a  loss,  after  deducting  expenses.  The  slow 


VOYAGES.  189 

sale  of  horses  detained  me  nearly  two  months,  during 
which  time  the  yellow  fever  made  its  appearance, 
and  raged  with  unabated  violence  until  our  depar 
ture,  particularly  among  the  shipping.  By  the  laws 
of  the  country  a  ship-master  is  obliged  to  land  all 
persons  seized  with  sickness  on  board  of  his  vessel, 
and  place  them  under  the  care  of  the  nurses  of  the 
city,  who  receive  them  into  their  houses  at  a  charge 
of  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  day  for  seamen* 
and  three  dollars  per  day  for  masters  and  mates. 
If  a  seaman  dies  on  board,  the  master  is  fined  five 
hundred  dollars. 

About  three  weeks  after  our  arrival  here  my 
cook  and  one  sailor  were  attacked  by  the  yellow 
fever,  I  took  them  ashore  and  placed  them  under  the 
care  of  nurses  ;  the  hostler  was  next  landed  with  the 
same  complaint,  and  the  third  day  after  I  put  on 
shore  another  seaman  in  like  condition.  During  this 
day,  after  a  long  walk  in  the  hot  sun,  I  retired  to  the 
house  of  one  of  the  nurses,  where  I  was  taken  down 
with  the  same  fever ;  my  cook  dying  about  the  time 
I  became  fairly  sick.  The  next  day  one  of  the  sea 
men  died.  The  seamen,  hostler,  and  myself  were 
put  under  the  care  of  different  nurses,  and  in  a  few 
days  such  of  us  as  were  spared  returned  to  duty. 

After  the  death  of  my  cook  I  hired  an  English 
negro,  (who  had  deserted  from  Turks  Island  and  ta 
ken  refuge  here,)  on  condition  that  he  should  serve  a 
few  days  on  trial,  and  if  both  parties  were  suited  he 
was  to  act  as  cook  until  the  voyage  was  ended,  and 


190  DUNHAM    S 

to  receive  the  same  wages  I  had  given  his  prede 
cessor.  After  remaining  on  board  a  few  days,  the 
mate  sent  a  message  to  me  on  shore,  informing  me 
that  the  cook  had  threatened  the  lives  of  some  of 
the  sailors  by  attacking  them  with  an  axe.  I  sent  a 
note  to  the  mate  requesting  him  to  send  the  cook  on 
shore.  He  soon  made  his  appearance,  when  I  took 
him  to  the  store  of  my  consignees  and  made  out  an 
account  of  his  time,  allowing  him  wages  at  the  rate 
of  fourteen  dollars  per  month,  according  to  agree 
ment.  I  read  the  statement  to  him  and  he  appeared 
well  satisfied.  I  then  asked  one  of  the  firm  to  pay 
the  bill.  He  said  his  partner  had  stepped  out  with 
the  key  of  the  money  drawer  in  his  pocket,  but  as 
soon  as  he  returned  it  would  be  paid,  and  asked  the 
cook  to  take  a  seat ;  he  walked  out  of  the  door  and 
was  missing  for  some  time,  when  he  entered  the  store 
in  company  with  a  black  man,  dressed  in  a  ser 
geant's  uniform,  with  a  sword  and  bayonet  hanging 
by  his  side,  who  introduced  himself  by  saying  he  had 
a  warrant  for  me.  I  was  a  little  surprised,  and  ask 
ed  him  if  he  wanted  me  to  go  with  him,  or  required 
any  security  for  my  appearance.  He  said  he  did 
not,  and  told  me  I  must  appear  in  the  third  ward, 

No. ,  to-morrow,  at  1 1  o'clock.    The  next  day  1 

called  at  the  store  of  my  consignees  and  got  the 
clerk  to  accompany  me  to  the  court.  On  our  way 
we  met  a  genteel  looking,  well  dressed  mulatto  man, 
who  asked  the  clerk  where  we  were  going.  The 
clerk  related  the  story  to  him,  and  he  volunteered  his 


VOYAGES.  191 

service  to  defend  my  cause,  and  accompanied  us  to 
the  court  room.  After  we  got  inside  of  the  door  I  dis 
covered  a  sentry  dressed  in  full  uniform,  with  side 
arms,  walking  in  front  of  the  door.  As  I  entered  the 
court  room  I  took  off  my  hat  to  show  some  respect  to 
the  honorable  black  justice.  Soon  after,  my  antago 
nist,  the  cook,  entered  the  door  with  his  hat  on  his 
head,  when  the  sentry  approached  him  without  ut 
tering  a  word  and  struck  him  a  heavy  blow  with  his 
flat  hand  on  the  side  of  his  head,  which  knocked  his 
hat  across  the  room ;  this  caused  the  poor  fellow  to 
look  amazed  for  a  few  moments,  when  he  picked  up 
his  hat  very  carefully.  The  trial  was  soon  called  on. 
I  related  the  whole  story  by  my  interpreter,  and  the 
judge,  without  calling  a  witness  on  either  side,  decid 
ed  that  I  should  pay  him  the  same  amount  of  money 
I  had  offered  him,  and  that  he  should  pay  the  costs, 
which  was  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents,  being  one-half 
the  sum  he  recovered  from  me. 

When  I  returned  to  the  wharf  to  go  on  board  my 
vessel  I  found  the  poor  fellow  had  been  impressed, 
and  sentenced  to  go  on  board  of  a  man-of-war,  and 
was  then  lodged  in  the  guard  house.  He  sent  a  mes 
sage  to  me  imploring  my  pardon,  and  begging  my 
assistance  to  obtain  his  release. 

About  this  time  there  was  a  very  great  excite 
ment  raised  in  the  city  in  consequence  of  the  circu 
lation  of  counterfeit  coin,  in  imitation  of  the  govern 
ment  silver,  and  a  story  had  been  circulated  that 
a  considerable  quantity  of  this  spurious  silver  was 


192'  DUNHAM'S 

expected  from  Baltimore.  As  several  vessels  arrived 
from  that  place  soon  after,  they  were  strictly  search 
ed,  by  boring  barrels  of  flour,  breaking  open  boxes 
and  packages  of  goods,  by  custom  house  officers,  and 
otherwise  searching  them.  After  some  days  it  was 
discovered  that  the  counterfeit  coin  was  brought 
from  Jamaica  by  a  Jew,  who  had  been  lurking  about 
the  city.  He  was  arrested  and  brought  before  the 
president  for  trial,  and  a  report  circulated  that  he 
would  certainly  be  hanged.  The  president  sent  for  a 
silver-smith  to  examine  the  coin,  who  pronounced  it 
to  be  one-half  pure  silver,  while  the  government  coin 
was  only  one-tenth  part  silver :  upon  which  the  pre 
sident  said,  "  Damn  him,  let  him  go,  for  his  money  is 
better  than  ours." 

The  laws  of  this  country  are  very  arbitrary,  al 
though  they  help  to  encourage  industry  and  suppress 
idleness  and  dissipation.  The  president  makes  dona 
tions  from  the  public  lands  to  all  poor  individuals 
who  will  cultivate  them.  After  they  take  possession 
of  a  lot  he  obliges  them  to  cultivate  it.  To  accom 
plish  this,  he  sends  a  small  military  guard  through 
the  new  settlements,  accompanied  by  an  officer,  who 
stops  at  every  house,  where  he  -makes  the  following 
inquiries :  "  Is  this  your  house  and  plantation  ?"  which 
being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  proceeds,  "  How 
large  is  your  family  ?"  The  man  answers,  a  wife  and 

children.  The  officer  then  compels  him  to  go  and 

show  him  the  plantation,  and  to  point  out  the  num 
ber  of  coffee  trees  he  has  planted,  &c.  If,  on  examin- 


VOYAGES.  193 

ing  the  premises  the  officer  finds  only  a  few  trees, 
and  is  convinced  of  the  indolence  of  the  occupant, 
he  says,  "  You  cannot  maintain  your  family  by  this, 
and  must  be  a  cheat,  or  steal,  you  must  therefore  go 
with  me,"  and  he  is  obliged  to  join  the  army  or  navy. 

The  farmers  being  out  of  the  cities  and  villages, 
are  not  allowed  to  come  to  market  except  two  days 
in  each  week,  say  Sundays  and  Wednesdays,  with 
out  a  special  permit.  All  persons  found  drinking  or 
rioting  about  public  places  or  grog  shops  are  imme 
diately  taken  up  under  the  vagrant  act,  sent  to  prison, 
and  then  transported  to  the  army  or  navy  as  a  pun 
ishment.  The  authorities  of  cities  and  villages  license 
a  limited  number  of  butchers  in  each  town,  and  com 
pel  them  to  keep  the  market  supplied  with  meat  every 
day,  and  limit  the  price  to  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
per  pound. 

Since  my  last  voyage  to  this  Island  the  president, 
at  the  head  of  his  army,  had  many  engagements 
with  the  royalists  under  the  emperor  Christophe, 
whom  he  conquered,  and  had  obtained  possession 
of  all  his  dominions.  The  emperor,  fearing  he  should 
be  taken  prisoner,  committed  suicide  by  blowing  his 
own  brains  out  with  his  pistol.  The  president  took 
possession  of  his  castle,  where  they  found  about  seven 
millions  of  dollars.  By  their  wars  with  the  French, 
and  their  internal  wars  among  themselves,  they  have 
reduced  the  male  inhabitants  so  much  that  they  now 
estimate  there  is  eleven  females  to  one  male,  through 
out  all  their  dominions. 


194  DUNHAM'S 

Having  disposed  of  my  cargo  and  got  a  return 
freight  on  board,  I  sailed  for  the  port  of  Jerimie, 
where  we  arrived  the  twenty-fourth  of  July.  Here  I 
collected  about  eight  hundred  dollars  in  coffee,  which 
was  due  from  my  last  voyage.  I  sailed  for  New- 
York  on  the  twenty-eighth,  and  arrived  at  Staten 
Island  after  a  passage  of  twenty-two  days,  where 
we  were  compelled  to  perform  a  quarantine  of  thirty 
days,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  we  proceeded 
to  the  city,  where  I  disposed  of  my  cargo  and  then 
returned  with  the  schooner  to  Catskill,  when  we  re 
fitted  her  previous  to  the  next  voyage. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


Schooner   Combine.— Third   Voyage. 

We  loaded  the  schooner's  hold  with  an  assorted 
cargo,  and  her  deck  with  twenty-eight  horses,  about 
fifty  hogs,  a  number  of  coops  of  poultry  ;  and  taking 
on  board  three  passengers  bound  for  the  Island  of 
Trinidad,  sailed  from  Catskill  the  tenth  .of  Novem 
ber,  1822,  and  arrived  in  New- York  after  a  passage 
of  two  days,  where  I  shipped  a  crew  and  prepared 
for  the  voyage.  About  the  seventeenth  of  November 
we  sailed  from  New- York,  bound  to  the  Island  of 


VOYAGES.  195 

Trinidad.  After  we  got  under  weigh  I  found  the 
greater  part  of  my  crew  so  badly  intoxicated  that 
they  could  not  stand  upon  deck,  but  having  fair 
wind  and  good  weather  I  proceeded  to  sea;  the 
mate,  cooper,  and  cook,  being  sober,  I  thought  we 
could  manage  the  vessel  until  the  crew  could  attend 
to  their  duty.  We  passed  the  night  without  getting 
any  assistance  from  them.  The  next  morning  I  or 
dered  the  mate  to  go  into  the  fore-castle,  where  they 
slept,  and  search  for  liquor,  and  if  necessary,  break 
open  all  the  seamen's  chests,  and  if  he  found  any  he 
was  to  break  the  bottles  or  heave  them  overboard. 
He  returned  to  the  cabin  with  one  bottle  containing 
about  a  pint,  being  all  he  could  find.  We  learned 
afterwards  that  they  had  some  more  secreted,  which 
he  was  not  able  to  discover.  Towards  evening  the 
second  day  we  were  able  to  get  them  all  at  work 
but  one.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  that  one 
came  on  deck  and  appeared  somewhat  bewildered 
with  delirium  tremens. 

I  was  then  called  to  my  supper,  being  much  fa 
tigued,  having  stood  at  the  helm  over  twenty-four 
hours,  while  the  mate,  cooper,  and  cook  took  care  of 
the  stock  on  deck.  Within  two  minutes  after  I  en 
tered  the  cabin  I  heard  the  cry,  "  He  is  overboard," 
when  I  jumped  on  deck  and  threw  over  many  arti 
cles  of  lumber,  long  lines,  &c.  but  the  night  being 
dark,  and  a  heavy  sea  running,  we  soon  lost  sight  of 
him.  This  seaman's  name  was  James  Currie,  who 
said  he  was  bom  in  Rhode  Island,  and  I  found  by 


196  DUNHAM'S 

the  papers  he  left,  that  he  had  lately  been  discharged 
from  the  Frigate  Constellation.  One  of  his  shipmates 
informed  me  that  he  had  just  arrived  from  a  three 
years'  cruise,  and  had  received  three  hundred  dollars 
when  he  was  paid  off,  but  had  spent  the  whole  of  it 
in  three  weeks,  and  was  indebted  to  his  landlord 
about  seventeen  dollars  more.  My  seamen  were  all 
sober  and  at  their  duty  in  a  couple  of  days,  and  we 
proceeded  on  the  voyage  without  any  other  occur 
rence  worth  recording,  and  arrived,  after  a  passage  of 
thirty-five  days,  at  Port  Spain,  in  the  Island  of  Trini 
dad,  where  we  landed  our  horses,  which  had  stood 
on  their  feet  the  whole  passage.  Many  of  them  had 
the  heaves  badly  when  they  were  taken  on  board, 
but  were  perfectly  cured  when  they  landed.  This 
being  the  third  time  of  successful  experiment  with 
diseased  horses  as  a  veterinarian,  I  pronounced  a  sea 
voyage  a  perfect  cure  for  the  heaves,  whether  in 
horses  or  other  animals. 

The  Island  of  Trinidad  was  ceded  to  the  English 
by  the  Spanish  government,  and  by  the  law  of  Na 
tions  the  Spanish  laws  were  to  remain  in  force  for 
twenty  years  after  the  transfer',  which  time  had  not 
expired.  A  Spanish  governor  is  clothed  with  almost 
as  much  power  as  an  emperor.  Sir  Ralph  Woodford 
had  been  selected  as  governor,  and  was  a  tyrannical 
man,  and  very  unpopular  among  the  inhabitants. 
The  city  of  Port  Spain  is  one  of  the  pleasantest 
places  I  have  e\er  seen  in  the  West  Indies.  The 
streets  are  kept  very  clean  and  in  good  order.  No 


VOYAGES.  197 

man  can  leave  the  Island  without  a  permit  from  the 
governor.  A  merchant  of  Port  Spain  visited  the 
Island  of  Tobago,  a  distance  of  about  sixty  miles, 
where  he  remained  two  or  three  days  and  then  re 
turned,  when  the  governor  had  him  arrested  and 
committed  to  jail,  where  he  remained  six  days :  his 
only  crime  was  leaving  the  Island  without  a  pass 
port  signed  by  the  governor. 

A  Mr.  J.  Robbins,  an  American,  informed  me  that 
he  owned  a  house  in  one  of  the  principal  streets  in 
the  city,  which  street  the  governor  ordered  to  be 
paved,  and  a  tax  laid  on  the  property  in  that  street 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  flagging.  The  tax  on  his 
house  and  lot  amounting  to  over  six  hundred  dollars, 
and  not  being  able  to  pay  it,  the  property  was  sold 
at  a  great  loss. 

The  license  to  retail  liquors  in  the  city  is  sold 
annually  at  auction,  to  the  highest  bidder ;  one  per 
son  purchasing  the  license  for  the  whole  town,  gives 
security,  and  then  divides  it  as  he  pleases.  The  soil 
of  this  Island  is  rich,  producing  sugar-cane  and  cocoa 
in  abundance.  Coffee,  and  all  kinds  of  tropical  pro 
visions  and  fruits  are  raised  here  in  large  quantities. 
The  Island  abounds  with  snakes  of  an  enormous 
size.  I  visited  an  American  gentleman,  residing  in  the 
country  about  twelve  miles  from  Port  Spain,  who 
had  a  snake-skin  stuffed  which  was  twenty-three 
feet  long ;  it  was  shot  by  one  of  his  negroes,  and  on 
opening  it  they  found  a  whole  deer.  A  few  hours 
before  we  left  the  port  news  was  received  from  the 


198  DUNHAM'S 

interior  of  the  Island  that  a  snake  had  been  shot  con 
taining  the  bodies  of  a  black  woman  and  child.  The 
principal  currency  of  the  country  is  Spanish  dollars 
punched  through  the  centre,  making  a  hole  about 
the  size  of  a  five  cent  piece ;  the  dollar  still  passing 
for  the  same  value  in  the  way  of  trade,  and  the  plug 
which  is  taken  out  passes  for  one-eighth  of  a  dollar. 
After  passing  through  a  few  hands  they  find  their 
way  to  some  Jew,  who  reams  the  hole  so  large  that 
you  can  pass  a  twenty-five  cent  piece  through  them, 
but  they  still  pass  for  a  dollar  by  way  of  trade.  To 
prevent  deception  and  loss,  most  bargains  are  stipu 
lated  to  be  paid  in  whole  dollars. 

The  English  government  has  made  a  strong  effort 
to  introduce  the  cultivation  of  tea  into  this  Island,  by 
importing  a  number  of  Chinese  laborers  ;  it  has  prov 
ed  to  be  a  thorough  failure.  After  their  arrival  in  the 
country  they  became  so  indolent  that  it  was  found 
impossible  to  make  them  cultivate  the  land.  They 
intermarried  with  the  negroes,  and  became  useless  to 
society,  laboring  only  to  supply  their  daily  wants. 

Having  sold  all  my  cargo,  and  taken  on  board 
over  a  hundred  hogsheads  of  molasses,  I  sailed  for 
New- York,  where  we  arrived  about  the  first  of  April, 
1823.  On  the  passage  home  we  experienced  a  heavy 
gale  of  wind,  which  caused  the  loss  of  one  thousand 
gallons  of  molasses. 

On  selling  the  cargo  we  found  the  West  India 
trade  unprofitable,  in  consequence  of  the  low  prices 
of  the  produce  of  the  Islands,  which  caused  heavy 


VOYAGES.  199 

losses  on  return  cargoes.  I  held  a  consultation  with 
my  partners  in  the  vessel,  when  it  was  agreed  to  sell 
the  Combine  at  auction  and  abandon  the  trade. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

The  following,  copied  from  the  Northern  Whig  of 
December  3d,  1822,  is  a  correct  account  of  the  cap 
ture  of  the  piratical  vessels  by  Lieutenant  Comman 
dant  Allen,  who  lost  his  life  during  the  engagement : 

"  It  becomes  our  painful  duty  to  record  the  death  of  Lieutenant 
William  Howard  Allen,  of  the  United  States  Navy.  He  command 
ed  the  United  States  Schooner  Alligator,  and  on  the  llth  of  No 
vember  last,  while  leading  his  brave  tars  in  the  Alligator's  boats 
to  attack  a  nest  of  pirates  near  Matanzas,  was  shot  by  them  in  the 
head  and  breast,  and  survived  but  four  hours.  Undaunted,  even 
in  death,  he  cheered  his  men,  and  had  the  consolation  of  witnessing 
the  surrender  of  one  of  the  piratical  vessels,  and  the  re-capture 
of  five  merchantmen  before  he  expired.  He  was  buried  on  the  suc 
ceeding  day  at  Matanzas,  with  military  honors. 

"  Lieutenant  Allen  was  a  native  of  this  city,  (Hudson,)  was 
born  on  the  8th  of  July,  1790,  entered  the  navy  in  the  20th  year 
of  his  age.  He  was  Second  Lieutenant  on  board  the  Argus,  in  the 
summer  of  1813,  and  during  the  bloody  conflict  between  the  Argua 
and  the  Pelican,  the  command  of  the  former  devolved  for  a  time 
upon  him.  W.  H.  Watson,  the  First  Lieutenant  of  the  Argus,  a 
brave  and  worthy  officer,  speaks  of  his  conduct  in  high  and  merit 
ed  terms.  He  was  also  in  the  Congress  Frigate  during  her  cruise 
in  the  Chinese  Seas. 

"  He  was  attached  to  his  profession,  courted  glory,  and  feared 
no  danger  In  the  last  war  he  saw  much  service ;  and  whether  in 
war  or  peace,  never  failed  to  do  his  duty. 


200  DUNHAM'S 

"  We  shall  conclude  our  brief  observations  with  the  following 
remarks,  which  have  been  kindly  furnished  us  at  the  particular  re 
quest  of  a  number  of  the  friends  of  Lieutenant  Allen,  and  which 
were  the  conclusion  of  a  discourse  delivered  from  the  pulpit,  by 
the  Reverend  B.  F.  Stanton,  on  the  Sunday  succeeding  the  day  on 
which  the  afflictive  news  of  the  death  alluded  to  arrived  here. 

"  After  a  reference  had  been  made  to  the  frequent  instances  in 
which,  for  a  few  years  past,  the  inhabitants  of  Hudson  have  been 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly  deprived  of  some  of  their  most  re 
spected  and  valued  fellow  citizens,  it  was  observed,  that,  'in  ad 
dition  to  all  the  previous  calamities  of  the  nature  which  we  had 
experienced,  we  have  recently  been  called  upon  by  the  righteous 
Providence  of  Him  whose  *  path  is  in  the  great  deep,  and  whose 
footsteps  are  not  known,'  to  contemplate  another,  which,  in  some 
of  its  features,  perhaps,  is  the  heaviest  of  all.  I  shall  undoubtedly 
be  readily  understood,  by  most  of  my  hearers,  to  refer  to  the  tid 
ings  which  have  lately  reached  us  of  the  lamented  death  of  Lieu 
tenant  William  H.  Allen,  a  native  of  this  town,  and  an  officer  in 
the  United  States  Navy. 

"  It  is  not  any  design  on  this  occasion  to  attempt  to  do  justice 
to  his  memory  by  pronouncing  his  eulogy.  This  will  probably  be 
done  by  abler  pens  and  more  eloquent  tongues.  My  aim  at  present 
is  merely  to  advert  to  a  few  of  the  leading  traits  in  his  character, 
and  to  call  on  those  who  hear  me  to  listen  to  the  monitory  voice 
of  Heaven  which  addresses  us  in  this  afflictive  dispensation.  As  a 
son  he  was  filial,  as  a  brother  he  was  kind  and  affectionate,  as  a 
gentleman  he  was  amiable  and  accomplished  in  his  manners,  as  a 
friend  he  was  trusty  and  sincere,  as  a  man  he  was  humane  and 
generous:  he  had  a  soul  that  was  indignant  at  meanness  and  vice! 
In  his  morals,  I  believe,  he  was  free  from  those  defilements  which 
are  too  often  known  to  tarnish  the  reputation  of  those  in  his  pro 
fession,  and  to  which  they  are  so  peculiarly  liable:  In  his  religious 
sentiments,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  he  was  a  candid  believer  in  di 
vine  revelation :  As  a  lover  of  his  country,  he  was  ardent  and  ever 
eager,  when  summoned  by  her  call,  to  be  foremost  in  her  defence ; 
and  as  an  officer  he  was  active,  faithful,  skilful,  and  courageous. 
In  the  engagement  that  terminated  his  naval  career,  he  occupied  a 
post  most  pregnant  with  danger,  and  though  mortally  wounded  in 
the  early  part,  of  it,  ne  still  animated  his  valiant  tars,  while  the  life- 
blood  was  fast  ebbing  from  its  seat,  to  persevere  till  the  victory 


VOYAGES.  201 

was  gained.  By  these  encomiums,  however,  it  is  not  intended  that 
he  was  exempted  from  a  participation  in  that  polution  of  our  na- 
ture  which  is  common  to  every  individual  of  the  human  family. 
Though  he  was  possessed  of  excellencies  which  we  may  be  allow 
ed  to  admire  and  applaud ;  in  the  sight  of  infinite  purity,  like  every 
other  human  being,  he  was  a  ruined  sinner, 

"  Sprung  from  the  man  whose  guilty  fall, 
"  Corrupts  our  arce  and  taints  us  all." 

But  neither  the  personal  excellencies  which  so  strongly  endeared 
him  to  those  who  knew  him,  the  affections  of  his  numerous  friends, 
nor  the  wants  of  his  country,  could  render  him  impervious  to  the 
shaft  of  death.  No,  his  generous  spirit  is  fled.  Though  brave,  he 
has  fallen  a  victim  to  the  king  of  terrors,  who  conquers  all.  A 
band  of  piratical  marauders,  whose  iniquitous  occupation  is  the 
plunder  of  the  seas,  and  whose  perfidies  and  cruelties,  which  are 
audaciously  committed  on  the  broad  highway  of  nations,  are  con 
tinually  augmenting,  and  in  our  opinion,  loudly  call  for  the  in- 
terfering  arm  of  national  government,  to  extirpate,  if  possible, 
these  freebooters,  from  the  face  of  the  earth;  a  horde  of  these  un 
principled  miscreants,  who  are  the  stigma  of  the  human  kind,  have 
deprived  his  country  of  his  valuable  services.  He  has  lain  down 
and  will  rise  not.  'Till  the  heavens  be  no  more  he  shall  not  awake, 
nor  be  raised  out  of  sleep.  His  mangled  remains  are  deposited  in 
a  land  of  strangers,  and  far  from  his  family  and  his  home.  He  will 
no  more  return  to  alleviate,  by  his  presence,  the  severe  and  long 
continued  afflictions  of  '  the  mother  that  bare  him,'  to  meet  the 
embraces  of  the  fond  sisters  that  loved  him,  and  to  receive  the 
gratulations  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  place,  who  were  proud  to 
claim  him  as  their  fellow-citizen.  Yes,  his  generous  spirit  has 
gone !  The  war  song  has  died  away  upon  his  ear.  By  the  thrill 
ing  notes  of  the  clarion,  which  once  prompted  him  to  deeds  of 
valor,  he  is  now  unmoved!  His  body  is  silent  and  still  in  'the 
narrow  house  of  all  living.'  He  reposes,  with  others  of  his  valiant 
compeers,  to  await  '  the  sound  of  the  archangel  and  the  trump  of 
God.'  But  it  is  the  consolation  of  surviving  friends  to  reflect,  that, 
though  he  sleeps,  and  they  shall  behold  him  no  more,  he  has  fallen 
in  the  arms  of  victory,  and  in  the  common  cause  of  his  country 
and  of  mankind.  His  memory  will  be  for  ever  embalmed  in  the 
tenderest  recollections  of  his  acquaintances.  His  loss  will  be  de- 
9* 


202  DUNHAM'S 

plored  as  a  national  calamity ;  and  we  would  reverently  trust,  that, 
before  his  spirit  took  its  returnless  flight,  as  he  had  been  educated 
in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  knew  to  whom  a  sin 
ner  has  to  go,  if  his  soul  is  ever  saved,  from  his  bloody  bed  of 
glory  he  raised  his  dying  eyes  and  his  supplicating  voice  to  that 
God  who  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  but  who  is  rich  in  mercy  unto 
all  that  call  upon  him,  in  whose  presence  the  rich  and  the  poor 
alike  meet  together ;  with  whom  the  high  and  the  low,  the  noble 
and  the  ignoble,  stand  upon  the  same  level,  in  the  effulgence  of 
whose  holiness  the  lustre  of  the  hero  is  dimmed,  who  permits 
none  to  glory  before  Him,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  with  whom  alone  can  avail  the  sacrifice  of  a  broken 
and  a  contrite  heart." 


From  the  New-York   Evening  Post. 

u  With  emotions  of  indignation  and  unavailing  grief,  we  find 
from  the  following  article,  that  one  of  our  bravest  American  offi 
cers  and  most  valuable  citizens,  Lieutenant  Commandant  Allen, 
has  fallen  by  the  merciless  hands  of  the  sea-robbers  who  for 
several  years  have  roamed  the  seas  unchecked,  fearlessly  plunder, 
ed  our  vessels,  and  remorselessly  assassinated  their  crews  with 
every  species  of  barbarity  that  hellish  ingenuity  could  invent." 


From  RelTs  Philadelphia  Gazette. 

•**  MELANCHOLY  TIDINGS. — We  have  to-day  to  record  an  event 
which  must  excite  in  the  breast  of  every  American,  and  we  may 
venture  to  add,  in  that  of  every  civilized  man,  emotions  of  profound 
regret  and  indignation — Lieutenant  Commandant  Allen,  one  of 
the  rising  stars  in  our  national  galaxy,  has  fallen  by  the  hands  of 
unprincipled  pirates.  In  the  earnest  and  honorable  execution  of 
his  duty  to  his  country  and  to  mankind,  this  gallant  and  accom 
plished  young  officer  has  become  the  victim  of  a  gang  of  desperate 
buccaneers ;  but  in  this,  as  in  most  of  the  occurrences  of  our  naval 
warfare,  he  died  in  the  lap  of  victory.  This  melancholy  intelligence 
was  received  this  morning  from  an  intelligent  gentleman,  passen 
ger  in  the  Mary  Ann,  Captain  Cory,  from  Havanna,  (now  below,) 
and  is  furnished  to  4is  in  these  words : 


VOYAGES.  203 

"About  the  9th,  two  masters  of  American  vessels  came  to 
Havanna  for  the  express  purpose  of  raising  money  for  the  ransom 
of  their  vessels,  bound  to  Havanna,  which  with  two  other  Ameri 
cans  (bound  to  New  Orleans)  had  been  recently  captured  by 
two  piratical  schooners  near  Key  Romain,  and  left  at  anchor  in 
that  neighborhood  waiting  their  return.  Captain  Allen,  of  the 
Alligator,  on  coming  into  port  next  day,  being  informed  thereof, 
started,  without  coming  to  anchor,  in  search  of  the  pirates,  whom 
on  that  or  the  next  day  he  discovered  in  the  channel  of  Matanzas. 
The  Alligator  drawing  too  much  water,  two  boats  were  manned 
and  stood  for  them ;  an  action  ensued,  in  the  early  part  of  which 
Captain  Allen  received  two  musket  balls,  one  in  the  head,  the  other 
in  his  breast,  and  soon  died,  encouraging  his  men  to  do  their  duty ; 
which  they  nobly  performed,  for  after  a  short  contest  the  pirates 
abandoned  their  vessel  and  swam  to  the  shore.  The  vessels  were 
taken  possession  of  by  the  victors  and  carried  into  Matanzas. 

"  They  mounted  one  gun  each,  amid-ship,  with  forty  men  each, 
well  armed,  and  considerable  plunder  on  board.  Our  informant 
does  not  know  what  became  of  their  prizes. 

"  The  Mary  Ann  has  despatches  on  board  from  the  American 
Agent  at  Havanna,  furnishing  official  information  in  relation  to 
this  disastrous  occurrence. 

"  Since  the  above  was  in  type,  (says  The  Evening  Post,)  the 
following  letter  was  handed  us,  confirmatory  of  the  melancholy 
truth  of  the  account,  with  further  particulars.  We  cannot  but  ex 
press  our  unqualified  admiration  of  the  gallantry  of  spirit  that  im 
pelled  the  undaunted  Allen,  undismayed  by  the  bloody  signal  of 
no  quarter,  which  waved  aloft,  to  attack  an  armed  vessel,  with  a 
desperate  crew  in  an  open  boat,  and  with  -only  a  few  men.  His 
virtuous  indignation  bore  away  all  prudent  reflections,  and  he 
rushed  into  the  jaws  of  death  itself  to  rescue  or  avenge  his  fellow 
citizens.  Captain  Allen  is  a  native  of  Hudson,  in  this  State,  where 
his  mother  and  sisters  now  reside.  May  we  not  hope  that  the  ves 
sels  in  our  harbor  will  unite  in  giving  at  least  one  outward  testi 
mony  of  their  mourning  for  his  loss,  by  raising  their  flags  half- 
mast  high  to-morrow. 

"MATANZAS,  November  11,  J822. 
"  To  Messrs.  G.  G.  &  S.  Rowland, 

"My  dear  Sirs : — The  gallant  Allen  is  no  more !  You  witnessed 
the  promptitude  with  which  he  hastened  to  relieve  the  vessel  which 


204  DUNHAM'S 

I  informed  him  had  been  captured  off  this  port.  He  arrived  just  in 
time  to  save  five  sail  of  vessels,  which  he  found  in  possession  of  a 
gang  of  pirates,  three  hundred  strong,  established  in  the  Bay  of 
Lejuapo,  about  fifteen  leagues  east  of  this.  He  fell,  pierced  by  two 
musket  balls,  in  the  van  of  a  division  of  boats,  attacking  their 
principal  vessel,  a  fine  schooner  of  about  eighty  tons,  with  a  long 
eighteen-pounder  on  a  pivot,  and  four  guns,  with  the  bloody  jlag 
nailed  to  the  mast.  Himself,  Captain  Freeman,  of  marines,  and 
twelve  men,  were  in  the  boat  much  in  advance  of  his  other  boats, 
and  even  took  possession  of  the  schooner  after  a  desperate  resis 
tance  which  nothing  but  a  bravery  almost  too  daring  could  have 
overcome.  The  pirates,  all  but  one,  escaped  by  taking  to  their 
boats  and  jumping  overboard,  before  the  Alligator's  boats  reached 
them.  Two  other  schooners  escaped  by  the  use  of  their  oars,  the 
wind  being  .light. 

"  Captain  Allen  survived  about  four,  hours,  during  which  his 
conversation  evinced  a  composure  and  firmness  of  mind,  and  cor 
rectness  of  feeling,  as  honorable  to  his  character  and  more  con 
soling  to  his  friends  than  even  the  dauntless  bravery  he  before 
evinced. 

"  The  Alligator  arrived  here  to-day,  in  company  with  the  prize, 
and  five  re-captured  vessels.  Arrangements  are  making  with  the 
governor,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  commander  of  the  Spanish 
Brig  of  war  Marte,  [of  whose  conduct  the  officers  of  the  Alligator 
speak  in  the  highest  terms,]  to  inter  him  with  the  honors  of  war 
to-morrow  morning.  It  is  certain  that  the  pirates  are  but  little 
weakened  by  this  contest,  and  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  our 
commerce  with  this  Island  and  New  Orleans  will  be  almost  an 
nihilated,  unless  an  effectual  force  is  stationed  here  to  prevent  it. 
But  the  best  comment  I  can  make  is  to  add  a  list  of  vessels  re 
taken,  and  to  state  that  many  of  the  men  are  missing,  and  probably 
have  been  murdered.  Should  any  of  our  vessels  of  war  arrive, 
please  state  these  facts,  and  leave  no  efforts  untried  to  procure 
some  additional  force  to  come  immediately  here. 

"  In  great  haste,  your's  very  truly, 

"FRANCIS  ADAMS. 

"  Loss  in  Alligator's  two  boats — Captain  Allen  and  two  oars 
men  killed ;  two  mer.  mortally  wounded ;  three  severely. 

"  [By  an  arrival  at  Philadelphia  we  learn  that  the  United  States 


VOYAGES.  205 

Schooner  Alligator  had  arrived  at  Matanzas  with  the  pirate 
schooner  and  the  vessels  re-taken  from  the  pirates,  (the  Ship 
William  &  Henry,  of  New- York,  Brig  Iris,  of  Boston,  and  Brig 
Sarah  Marael,  of  New-York,  bound  to  New  Orleans;  Schooner 
Sarah,  of  Boston,  for  Mobile,  Schooner  Mary  Ann,  of  Salem,  for 
Matanzas,)  are  all  ordered  for  Charleston.  The  pirate  schooner 
has  arrived,  it  is  said,  at  Norfolk.]" 

After  the  arrival  of  the  piratical  schooner  at  Nor 
folk  she  was  condemned  and  sold  to  a  citizen  of  that 
place,  who  gave  her  the  name  of  Allen,  in  remem 
brance  of  the  brave  but  unfortunate  commander 
who  lost  his  life  in  capturing  her.  Some  time  after 
she  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  H.  &  D.  Cotheal  and 
A.  D.  Hallett,  the  former  owners  of  the  Price,  and  I 
was  employed  to  take  the  command  of  her,  and  pro 
ceed  to  the  Island  of  St.  Andreas,  and  from  thence 
to  Chagres. 


CHAPTER'  XXIV. 


Schooner   Allen. 

About  the  twenty-seventh  of  December,  1823,  I 
took  charge  of  the  Allen.  She  was  a  small  sharp- 
built  schooner,  armed  with  a  long  six-pound  cannon, 
mounted  on  a  circle,  with  a  patent  slide,  and  was 
well  fitted  for  sea.  My  crew  were  three  seamen, 
a  mate  and  cook.  We  sailed  from  New- York  the 


206  DUNHAM'S 

twenty-ninth  of  December,  and  made  our  passage  to 
the  Island  of  Old  Providence  in  seventeen  days,  where 
we  stopped  and  traded  two  or  three  days,  and  then 
proceeded  to  the  Island  of  St.  Andreas,  where  I  met 
Mr.  Henry  T.  Smith,  who  had  been  my  former  clerk 
in  the  Indian  trade.  I  supplied  him  with  what  goods 
he  wanted  and  then  sailed  for  Chagres.  On  my  ar 
rival  there  I  wrote  a  letter  to  the  American  Consul 
at  Panama,  informing  him  that  I  had  a  consignment 
of  goods  on  board  for  him.  After  a  few  days  I  receiv 
ed  a  letter  from  a  Mr.  Montaudevert,  informing  me 
that  Mr.  Craig,  the  consul  had  left  Panama  and 
departed  for  New- York  on  a  visit,  leaving  him  in 
charge  of  his  business  during  his  absence.  In  three 
or  four  days  after  I  received  his  letter  he  arrived  at 
Chagres  and  took  lodgings  on  board  with  me.  The 
next  day  he  hired  a  large  canoe  to  take  the  goods  up 
the  river  to  a  place  called  Cruses,  a  distance  of  forty- 
two  miles,  which  is  said  to  be. the  head  of  canoe  na 
vigation  on  that  river.  The  provisions  I  had  on  board 
was  all  put  up  in  half  barrels  for  the  customary 
mule  transportation  over  the  Isthmus,  by  slinging 
two  across  each  mule's  back,  two  half  barrels  being 
a  load  for  a  mule.  After  all  our  arrangements  were 
made  the  canoe  was  hauled  alongside  of  the  Allen. 
When  she  made  her  appearance  there  I  was  struck 
with  surprise  at  her  length  and  breadth,  she  being 
some  feet  longer  than  my  little  schooner.  I  took  up 
a  "rule  and  measured  her  breadth,  which  I  found  was 
eight  feet  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  her  length 


VOYAGES.  207 

over  sixty  feet,  being  dug  out  of  one  solid  tree,  free 
from  shakes  or  cracks. 

In  the  morning  we  loaded  the  canoe  with  one 
hundred  and  forty-one  half  barrels  of  flour,  and  twen 
ty  half  barrels  of  pork  and  mackerel,  and  two  hogs 
heads  filled  with  firkins  of  butter.    The  canoe  had  a 
large  quantity  of  other  freight  on  board  before  she 
come  alongside  of  the  Allen.   After  delivering  all  the 
goods  consigned  to  Mr.  Craig,  I  sold  Mr.  Montaude- 
vert  thirteen  hundred  and  forty  dollars'  worth  of  goods 
consigned  to  myself,  on  a  credit  of  ninety  days,  and 
took  his  note,  payable  in  gold  dust,  at  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  per  pound,  or  Spanish  dollars,  at  my 
option.  Mr.  Montaudevert  told  me  if  I  returned  there 
in  the  Allen  next  voyage  he  would  ship  on  board  of 
her  on  freight,  thirty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  dust. 
This  may  show  the  reader  that  gold  dust  has  been 
gathered  in  that  region  for  many  years ;  and  if  that 
country  was  as  well  searched  as  California  is  at 
this  day,  no  doubt  many  beds  of  that  valuable  ore 
might  be  found.    I  remained  in  Chagres  eight  or  ten 
days,  selling  goods  from  the  vessel  at  retail  at  good 
prices.    Having  four  hogsheads  of  rum  and  brandy 
on  board,  which  I  found  was  a  contraband  article  in 
that  government,  I  entered  them  at  the  custom  house 
for  exportation,  and   afterwards   sold   them  to  an 
American  captain,  who  agreed  to  meet  me  a  few 
miles  at  sea,  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of  that  govern 
ment,  where  I  delivered  them  and  received  my  pay. 
The  river  Chagres  is  navigable  for  small  vessels 


208  DUNHAM'S 

about  half  a  mile  inside  of  the  bar,  which  has  about 
eleven  feet  of  water  on  it  at  full  tide.  The  town 
contains  about  fifty  huts,  called  houses,  built  after 
the  model  of  the  Indians.  The  inhabitants  are  called 
Samboes,  being  a  mixture  of  native  Indian,  Negro, 
and  white  blood.  They  are  a  very  indolent,  harm 
less,  and  inoffensive  race ;  and  their  customs  and 
manners  are  much  like  the  native  Indians. 

I  got  under  weigh  and  proceeded  a  few  miles  to 
sea,  when  I  found  the  vessel  lacked  ballast,  so  we  ran 
into  Porto  Bello  and  purchased  a  few  tons  of  fustic, 
which  put  her  in  good  sailing  trim,  when  we  shaped 
our  course  back  towards  the  Island  of  St.  Andreas, 
where  I  took  Mr.  Henry  T.  Smith,  and  his  return 
cargo  on  board,  consisting  of  four  hundred  pounds  of 
tortoise  shell,  and  five  or  six  thousand  dollars  in  gold 
and  silver,  which  he  had  collected  for  the  owners  of 
the  Allen.  We  soon  got  under  weigh  and  shaped  our 
course  for  New- York. 

As  my  little  schooner  was  a  fast  sailor,  pilot-boat 
model,  I  beat  to  the  windward,  hoping  to  get  sight  of 
the  Island  of  St.  Domingo  and  sail  through  the  wind 
ward  passage.  After  a  few  days  we  succeeded  in 
obtaining  sight  of  that  Island  and  sailed  along  under 
the  lee  of  it;  keeping  a  bright  look-out  for  suspi 
cious  looking  vessels.  Knowing  that  my  vessel  had 
been  taken  from  the  pirates,  I  was  fearful  that  some 
of  the  former  gang  who  once  had  possession  of  her 
might  capture  me,  when  I  could  not  expect  anything 
but  immediate  death. 


VOYAGES.  209 

The  morning  after  we  got  sight  of  the  Island 
we  discovered  a  suspicious  looking  schooner  laying 
at  anchor  near  the  land,  about  five  miles  to  the  wind 
ward  of  us,  who  got  under  weigh  in  great  haste.  I 
soon  perceived  with  my  spy  glass  that  her  deck  was 
full  of  men.  She  bore  down  towards  us,  we  hauled 
close  upon  the  wind,  which  brought  her  into  our 
wake  about  four  miles  astern  of  us.  Both  vessels 
had  their  colors  flying.  Neither  of  us  dared  to  trust 
the  other.  Our  new  neighbor  soon  after  rounded 
too,  hauled  up  his  fore-sail,  and  fired  a  large  shot, 
which  we  could  plainly  discover  skipping  on  the  sur 
face  of  the  water  some  distance  from  us.  I  took  the 
helm  myself  and  kept  the  vessel  close  to  the  wind, 
fearing  my  seamen  would  be  careless  about  steering 
her.  The  strange  schooner  continued  firing  at  us 
about  every  half  hour,  while  we  were  going  fast  to 
the  windward  of  him,  until  about  twelve  o'clock.  In 
the  afternoon  the  wind  became  light,  when  we  dis 
covered  that  the  strange  vessel  was  gaining  upon  us. 
The  captain  afterwards  informed. me  that  he  had 
thirty  sweeps,  and  most  of  his  men  employed  in  row 
ing  for  some  hours,  being  determined  to  overhaul  us. 
We  kept  on  our  course  until  about  3  o'clock,  when 
we  found  ourselves  near  the  land  on  the  Island  of 
Cuba,  and  the  suspicious  craft  gaining  fast  upon  us. 
We  had  no  alternative  but  to  tack  ship ;  soon  after, 
he  fired  a  shot  which  struck  under  our  bowsprit,  and 
wet  our  fore-sail  up  to  the  gaff,  this  was  followed  by 
anothor  that  grazed  our  mast-head,  and  another  fell 


210  DUNHAM'S 

a  few  feet  under  the  stern.  The  fourth  shot  struck 
the  after  leach  of  the  main-sail  and  cut  off  the  bolt 
rope  and  the  after-cloth  of  the  sail,  and  glancing 
downwards,  struck  the  trunk-deck  and  entered  the 
cabin,  passed  through  my  bed,  and  then  followed  the 
ceiling  into  the  hold,  cutting  away  the  plank  and 
three  timbers  and  landed  in  a  bag  of  cotton.  Although 
the  ball,  weighing  thirty-two  pounds,  passed  through 
the  deck  within  six  feet  from  where  I  stood  at  the 
helm,  being  much  engaged  in  giving  orders  to  set  the 
square-sail,  I  did  not  discover  that  it  had  passed 
through  the  deck  until  some  minutes  after,  when  the 
cook  came  out  of  the  cabin  and  told  me  that  Mr. 
Smith  was  wounded  by  a  splinter  striking  him  on 
the  head.  I  then  raised  my  spy-glass  and  took  a  good 
survey  of  my  antagonist,  supposing  him  to  be  a 
pirate.  On  looking  at  him  some  time,  (all  hands  on 
board  the  Allen  being  greatly  agitated,)  I  discovered 
a  number  of  red  coats  on  her  deck,  when  our  grief 
was  turned  to  joy,  being  satisfied  that  they  were 
English  marines.  Soon  after  she  approached  within 
hailing  distance  of  us,  when  I  was  ordered  to  hoist 
out  my  boat  and  come  on  board  of  her.  When  I  got 
on  iDoard  I  was  accosted  by  the  captain  with,  "  Did 
you  not  see  the  colors  flying  on  board  of  my  vessel." 
I  answered,  "  Yes,  sir,  but  I  do  not  trust  to  colors  in 
these  piratical  days."  He  then  said,  "  You  have  cost 
me  a  great  deal  of  powder  and  shot  this  day."  I 
answered,  by  saying,  "Never  mind,  King  George 
is  able  to  pay  for  it."  He  then  asked  me  if  my  vessel 


VOYAGES.  211 

leaked  badly.  I  told  him  that  I  had  but  little  time  to 
ascertain  how  bad  she  did  leak,  but  knew  that  she 
had  some  holes  in  her.  He  sent  a  lieutenant,  carpen 
ter,  and  four  men  on  board  of  the  Allen  to  examine 
and  pump  her  out,  and  invited  me  into  the  cabin  to 
drink  with  him.  I  told  him  I  did  not  drink  any  ardent 
spirits  ;  he  then  said,  "  Damn  it,  you're  a  Yankee,  and 
can  take  a  bottle  of  cider  with  me."  After  we  en 
tered  the  cabin  and  were  seated,  he  looked  at  me 
with  a  smile,  saying,  "  Curse  me  if  you  ain't  game, 
you  stand  fire  well."  In  the  mean  time  he  called  the 
gunner  to  the  cabin  door,  saying,  "  Gunner,  how  many 
shot  have  you  fired  at  this  man  this  day."  The  gun 
ner  answered  him,  "  Sixteen  thirty-two  pound  shot, 
and  four  long  twelve-pounders." 

He  then  told  me,  if  I  thought  it  necessary  to  put 
into  some  port  for  repairs,  he  would  recommend 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  as  the  best  to  sail  for;  and  if 
I  had  any  valuable  articles  in  her,  he  would  take 
them  on  board  of  his  vessel  for  safety,  and  convoy 
me  to  that  port.  I  informed  him  that  I  had  over 
eight  thousand  dollars  in  specie,  and  four  hundred 
pounds  of  tortoise-shell,  worth  ten  dollars  per  pound. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  lieutenant  arrived  from  the 
Allen  and  reported  that  he  thought  she  could  be 
kept  perfectly  free  from  water  by  having  the  pump 
well  manned.  After  some  consultation  together,  he 
agreed  to  let  his  carpenter,  sailing  master,  and  four 
seamen  remain  on  board  the  Allen,  and  he  would 
hoist  lights  and  signals,  and  convoy  her  to  Kingston 


212  DUNHAM'S 

for  repairs.  He  then  gave  his  name,  and  a  history  of 
himself  and  the  schooner  he  now  commanded.  He 
said,  "About  one  year  since  I  obtained  a  furlough 
from  my  government,  and  took  charge  of  a  merchant 
ship  bound  from  Liverpool  to  Jamaica  and  back  to 
that  port.  On  my  passage  from  Jamaica  towards 
home  I  was  captured  by  the  pirates,  robbed  of  eight 
thousand  dollars,  and  many  articles,  and  most  cruel 
ly  beaten  and  horribly  tortured.  The  vessel  he  was 
now  in  was  taken  from  the  pirates  by  one  of  his 
Majesty's  ships,  and  carried  into  Jamaica,  condemn 
ed,  and  then  fitted  out  under  the  name  of  the  Rene 
gade,  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  pirates  ;  and  that 
he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  her,  and  was 
determined  to  cruise  after  them  until  he  had  obtain 
ed  some  satisfaction  from  them."  After  this  conver 
sation  ended  I  went  on  board  my  vessel  and  follow 
ed  the  Renegade,  who  shaped  her  course  for  Kings 
ton.  Night  soon  approached,  when  she  showed  her 
signal  light,  which  we  followed.  During  the  night 
the  light  winds  and  smoky  weather  caused  us  to  lose 
sight  of  her  until  the  next  morning,  when  we  found 
ourselves  near  a  place  called  the  White  Horse,  about 
twelve  miles  from  Port  Royal,  which  lies  at  the  en 
trance  of  Kingston  harbor.  Our  vessels  were  now 
laying  becalmed  a  short  distance  from  each  other. 
Soon  after  the  sea-breeze  arose,  both  vessels  being 
under  weigh,  near  together,  we  set  all  our  sails  and 
steered  for  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  the  Allen 
arrived  there  three  miles  ahead  of  the  Renegade. 


VOYAGES.  213 

This  satisfied  me  that  the  use  of  the  sweeps  on  board 
of  the  Renegade  caused  the  long  chase  between  us, 
and  the  loss  of  his  Majesty's  powder  and  shot. 

On  my  arrival  at  Kingston  I  called  on  Messrs. 
O'Hara  &  Onfloy  for  advice,  when  we  applied  to 
the  admiral  on  that  station  to  allow  the  Allen  to  be 
taken  into  the  king's  dock-yard  for  repairs,  which  he 
refused.  We  then  applied  to  the  collector  of  the  port 
for  leave  to  take  out  her  cargo,  in  order  to  heave  her 
bottom  out  of  water  and  repair  it.  The  collector 
informed  us  that  he  could  not  grant  us  that  leave 
without  permission  from  the  governor,  who  resided 
at  Spanish  Town,  twelve  miles  from  Kingston.  We 
had  to  employ  a  competent  person  to  draw  the  peti 
tion,  who  let  us  know  that  we  must  advance  him 
thirty  dollars  to  purchase  a  sheet  of  stamped  paper 
to  write  the  petition  upon.  After  the  article  was 
drawn  I  was  obliged  to  hire  a  man  and  furnish  him 
with  a  horse  and  carriage  to  convey  it  to  the  gover 
nor,  who  granted  my  request.  The  only  favor  I  had 
to  acknowledge  was,  the  governor's  sending  me  the 
thirty  dollars  which  I  paid  for  the  sheet  of  stamped 
paper,  in  consequence  of  the  assault  being  com 
mitted  by  an  English,  government  vessel. 

The  carpenter  hove  the  schooner's  bottom  out 
and  repaired  her  in  three  or  four  days ;  but  I  was 
detained  eight  days  in  obtaining  a  permit  to  land  the 
cargo  for  that  purpose.  The  whole  of  the  expenses 
were  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  dollars.  During 
this  time  I  often  met  Captain  Fiatt,  the  commander 


214  DUNHAM'S 

of  the  Renegade,  at  public  houses  and  elsewhere, 
who  was  a  gentleman  in  all  respects.  He  was  pro 
fuse  in  expressing  his  regret  that  the  unfortunate  oc 
currence  had  happened  to  my  vessel ;  and  was  still 
full  of  his  determination  to  pursue  the  pirates  until 
he  got  some  revenge  for  the  injuries  he  had  received 
from  them.  After  the  vessel  was  repaired  I  took  on 
board  four  thousand  six  hundred  dollars  belonging 
to  my  owners,  and  returned  with  the  Allen  to  New- 
York.  About  one  year  after,  I  visited  Kingston  on 
my  way  home  from  the  Spanish  Main.  When  I  in 
quired  after  Captain  Fiatt,  whom  I  left  in  the  Rene 
gade,  an  English  naval  officer  informed  me  that 
while  cruising  he  landed  with  his  boat  and  crew  on 
the  Isle  of  Pines,  and  was  missing  for  some  time, 
when  another  man-of-war's  boat  was  sent  in  search 
of  him.  When  the  officer  and  boat's  crew  landed  on 
the  Island  they  found  the  bodies  of  Captain  Fiatt 
and  his  boat's  crew  strewed  on  the  ground,  riddled 
with  balls,  and  the  captain  so  horribly  and  vulgarly 
mangled  as  showed  that  none  but  fiends  could  have 
been  guilty  of  murdering  them. 

To  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  horrible 
atrocities  committed  by  the  pirates  at  that  time,  I 
have  thought  proper  to  insert  the  following  account, 
copied  from  The  Evening  Post  of  April  15th,  1822 : 

"  Commodore  Porters   Squadron. 

"  Piracies. — The  last  news  that  has  been  received  from  this 
squadron  is  contained  in  the  New- York  papers  extracted  from  the 
St.  Thomas'  Times  of  March  5.  On  the  4th  the  squadron  got  un- 


VOYAGES.  215 

der  weigh  and  put  to  sea  from  St.  Thomas'.  Piracies  of  an  enor 
mity  that  the  bare  recital  of  them  make  the  blood  run  cold,  are 
continually  taking  place.  A  Dutch  Brig  was  taken  in  sight  of  Moro 
Castle,  at  Havanna.  The  French  Brig  La  Jeune  Henrietta  was 
taken  on  the  17th  of  March,  the  captain,  passengers,  and  all  the 
crew  were  most  cruelly  beaten,  and  they  and  the  vessel  robbed. 
The  Schooner  Success,  from  Matanzas,  bound  to  New  Providence, 
was  captured  and  converted  into  an  assistant  pirate,  two  ladies, 
passengers,  made  prisoners,  one  of  whom  was  hanged  up  till  life 
was  almost  extinct,  in  order  to  make  her  confess  where  the  money 
on  board  was  secreted.  The  Dutch  Brig  Minerva  was  captured 
and  burned.  The  Brig  Columbia,  from  Washington,  North  Caro 
lina,  was  captured,  robbed  of  parts  of  her  cargo  and  sails.  The 
Brig  Alert,  from  New  Orleans,  was  boarded  off  the  Moro  by  three 
boats,  the  captain  and  cook  killed,  and  one  man  mortally  wounded. 
A  brig  has  lately  arrived  from  the  Balize,  belonging  to  Kennebunk, 
formerly  commanded  by  Captain  Perkins,  she  was  from  Port-au- 
Prince,  via  Campeachy,  where  he  was  boarded  by  a  pirate  schoon 
er  of  about  forty  tons,  manned  by  forty  ruffians.  '  They  stabbed 
Captain  Perkins  in  a  cruel  manner  and  cut  off  one  of  his  arms ;  he 
then  told  them  where  the  money  was,  which  amounted  to  two 
hundred  doubloons;  after  which  they  cut  off  his  other  arm  and 
thigh,  placed  oakum  dipped  in  oil  under  his  body  and  in  his  mouth, 
and  set  fire  to  it,  which  soon  put  an  end  to  his  life.  The  mate  had 
a  sword  thrust  through  his  thigh,  and  the  vessel  was  robbed  of 
everything  moveable,  such  as  cables,  anchors,  charts,  books,  rig 
ging,  sails,  &c.'  It  would  seem  by  these  accounts,  which  have  all 
come  to  hand  the  past  week,  that  our  squadron  was  of  little  or  no 
use  in  those  seas.  The  true  way  we  think  would  be  to  put  armed 
crews  on  board  of  merchantmen,*  at  sea,  after  they  had  left  the 
port  they  sailed  from,  and  in  this  way  the  pirates  could  get  no  in 
telligence  of  vessels  destined  to  go  against  them. 

"  Captain  Harding,  of  the  Schooner  Aspray,  who  arrived  at 
Boston  last  Monday,  from  Havanna,  in  twelve  days,  informs  that 
he  was  chased  out  of  the  Bay  of  Matanzas  by  two  piratical  boats, 
and  running  down  for  Havanna  threw  off  her  deck  load  to  get 
clear  of  a  piratical  schooner.  Brig  Alert,  of  Portsmouth,  from  New 
Orleans,  had  just  arrived  off  the  Moro  with  a  deck  load  of  hogs. 
She  was  boarded  in  the  night  by  two  piratical  boats,  with  six  men 
each,  and  Captain  Charles  Blunt  was  murdered  and  throwu  over- 


216  DURHAM'S 

board ;  the  cook  was  stabbed,  thrown  among  the  hogs  and  partly 
devoured  by  them.  The  crew  were  maltreated,  and  the  vessel 
plundered.  Captain  Harding  states,  that  when  she  sailed  from 
Havanna  it  was  hourly  expected  that  orders  would  be  issued  for 
the  detention  of  French  vessels  in  port." 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

Schooner   Frances. 

On  the  sixteenth  day  of  July,  1824,  I  made  a  con 
tract  with  one  Captain  Oliver  C.  Murray,  master  of 
the  Schooner  Frances,  of  New- York,  to  proceed  with 
him  on  a  trading  voyage  to  the  Musquitto  Shore, 
Chagres,  Porto  Bello,  St.  Bias,  &c.  as  a  pilot  and 
assistant  trader. 

We  took  on  board  an  assorted  cargo,  and  sailed 
from  New- York  about  the  last  of  July.  After  being 
at  sea  some  three  days  Captain  Murray  was  taken 
sick,  when  he  called  the  mate  and  crew  into  the 
cabin  and  told  them  that  he  had  given  up  the  charge 
of  the  schooner  to  me,  that  they  must  obey  me  ac 
cordingly.  This  was  unsolicited  by  me.  We  then 
proceeded  direct  to  Porto  Bello,  where  we  opened  a 
trade  with  the  inhabitants,  remaining  there  about 
three  weeks,  experiencing  heavy  showers  of  rain 
every  day  we  tarried  there,  it  then  being  the  rainy 
season  on  that  coast.  We  proceeded  from  that  port 


VOYAGES.  21Y 

to  Carthagena,  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and 
sixty  miles,  where  we  wrere  informed  by  the  inhabi 
tants  that  there  had  not  fallen  a  drop  of  rain  in  that 
place  during  the  last  ten  months. 

Carthagena  is  the  strongest  fortified  city  I  ever 
visited,  being  enclosed  with  a  wall  some  fifteen  feet 
high,  which  is  approached  by  a  slope  of  easy  assent. 
The  wall  appears  to  be  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
thick,  having  embrasures  with  heavy  cannon  mount 
ed  on  it,  about  one  hundred  feet  from  one  to  another, 
all  around  the  city,  with  a  good  road  on  the  top  of 
the  wall.  On  the  outside  of  the  wall  there  is  a  deep 
trench,  where  water  can  be  let  in  five  or  six  feet 
deep  if  the  city  should  be  invaded  by  an  enemy. 
Vessels  bound  into  the  harbor  are  obliged  to  keep 
close  to  the  main  land,  which  brings  them  near  a 
long  tier  of  forts.  The  greatest  part  of  the  channel 
is  filled  in  with  large  stones,  which  appears  to  have 
been  the  work  of  ages. 

We  remained  here  about  two  weeks,  and  were 
visited  by  numbers  of  captains  of  Columbian  priva 
teers,  most  of  them  Americans,  who  had  obtained 
commissions  signed  by  General  Bolivar ;  they  pur 
chased  many  articles  from  us.  Before  we  got  the 
schooner  under  weigh  we  took  on  board  three  mem 
bers  of  the  Columbian  Congress  and  their  servants. 
A  son  of  one  of  the  congressmen  had  been  educated 
in  Europe,  and  spoke  good  English.  We  agreed  to 
convey  them  to  Chagres.  They  came  direct  from 

Bogata,  the  seat  of  government  of  this  Republic, 
10 


218  DUNHAM'S 

their  congress  having  just  adjourned ;  they  were  on 
their  way  home,  across  the  Isthmus.  The  Columbian 
Congress  had  passed  a  law  to  raise  the  duties  on  im 
ports  about  twelve  per  cent.  We  had  a  large  assort 
ment  of  goods  on  board,  which  we  sold  at  retail  at 
every  port  where  we  landed.  On  our  passage  these 
members  of  congress,  who  had  come  direct  from  the 
seat  of  government,  and  assisted  to  pass  laws  to  raise 
the  revenue  and  prevent  smuggling,  purchased  over 
three  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  goods  of  us  on  the 
passage,  and  had  them  put  up  in  proper  packages  to 
pass  through  the  custom  house  as  their  baggage,  so 
as  to  defraud  the  government  of  the  duties. 

A  short  time  before  we  arrived  at  Chagres  one 
of  them,  who  had  an  English  negro  servant,  ordered 
him  to  tell  Captain  Murray  that  he  could  put  some 
of  his  goods  amongst  their  baggage  if  he  wanted  to 
smuggle  them  on  shore  through  the  custom  house,  as 
their  baggage  was  considered  sacred,  and  that  no 
custom  house  officer  dare  to  examine  it.  Being  well 
acquainted  with  the  tricks  of  these  Spanish  officers, 
I  prevailed  on  Murray  not  to  trust  them,  telling  him 
this  was  only  a  trick  to  cheat  him  out  of  his  goods, 
as  I  had  heard,  from  good  authority,  of  a  number  of 
tricks  of  this  kind  which  had  been  practised  by  the 
collector  of  Porto  Bello  and  other  ports  on  the  Main. 

We  landed  our  passengers  and  remained  some 
days  at  Chagres,  where  we  sold  some  goods  and  then 
returned  to  Porto  Bello.  We  purchased  some  fustic 
and  other  articles,  and  proceeded  to  the  coast  of  St 


VOYAGES.  210 

Bias,  touching  at  a  number  of  small  harbors,  where 
we  bought  fustic  in  small  quantities.  While  laying 
in  the  mouth  of  one  of  these  narrow  rivers,  called 
Nombre  Dios,  (name  of  God,)  I  found  by  inquiry  that 
I  was  only  about  thirty  miles  from  the  residence  of 
one  of  my  old  traders,  named  Campbell,  who  had 
visited  New- York  with  me  in  the  Schooner  Price, 
and  was  there  when  General  Jackson  made  his  first 
visit  to  that  city.  I  told  Captain  Murray  that  I 
should  feel  much  pleased  to  visit  Campbell,  and  I 
would  willingly  assist  to  paddle  a  canoe  thirty  miles 
to  see  any  honest  friend.  This  pleased  him  much, 
as  he  wanted  an  introduction  to  the  trade  on  that 
coast.  The  next  morning  we  fitted  out  our  canoe, 
by  putting  a  dinner-pot,  fire- works,  and  some  provi 
sions,  and  a  large  jug,  containing  two  or  three  gal 
lons  of  gin,  on  board,  to  treat  my  Indian  friends  on 
my  arrival  among  them.  We  were  now  well  pre 
pared  for  the  trip,  having  plenty  to  eat  and  drink. 
If  the  winds  or  weather  detained  us  on  the  passage 
we  could  go  on  shore,  haul  up  our  canoe,  build  a 
fire,  cook  our  provision  and  then  lay  down  on  the 
ground  and  get  a  comfortable  sleep,  by  keeping  a 
kind  of  watch  amongst  ourselves  to  prevent  the  fire 
from  going  out,  that  being  our  only  protection  from 
tigers,  panthers,  and  other  wild  beasts,  who  will 
never  approach  a  fire.  They  are  very  numerous  on 
this  coast.  I  tried  this  experiment  many  years  suc 
cessfully. 

We  left  the  schooner  early  in  the  morning  and 


220  DUNHAM'S 

proceeded  more  than  one  half  of  our  journey,  when 
a  strong  breeze  of  head  wind  compelled  us  to  go  on 
shore  and  take  up  our  lodging  for  the  night.  The 
next  morning,  the  wind  having  abated,  we  got  under 
weigh,  and  reached  Campbell's  house  that  afternoon. 
I  was  received  by  my  old  friend  in  the  most  affec 
tionate  manner.  He,  knowing  that  I  was  very  fond 
of  craw-fish,  wilkes,  &c.  despatched  a  number  of 
young  men  to  fish  for  them,  and  others  to  go  and 
gather  some  of  their  best  fruits  for  us  to  eat.  At  the 
same  time  the  most  of  his  neighbors  visited  his  house, 
many  of  them  bringing  fruits,  sugar-cane,  &c.  We 
were  treated  to  the  best  supper  the  country  afforded, 
and  he  furnished  us  with  clean  hammocks  to  sleep 
in.  The  morning  after,  we  made  a  good  breakfast ; 
a  large  assemblage  of  Indians  met  at  Campbell's 
house,  when  he  asked  me  to  christen  his  children, 
which  I  declined,  by  saying  I  had  no  book  with  me.  I 
soon  discovered  that  he  felt  dissatisfied  with  my  de 
nial,  for  he  had  invited  all  his  neighbors  there  to  wit 
ness  the  performance.  He  earnesly  entreated  me  a 
second  time  to  perform  the  ceremony.  After  some 
further  entreaty  I  yielded  to  his  request,  which  seem 
ed  to  throw  a  gleam  of  joy  on  all  the  assembly  of 
Indians,  whose  eyes  were  steadily  fixed  upon  me. 
When  I  got  prepared  to  perform  the  ceremony,  I 
asked  Campbell  in  his  usual  way  of  speaking  Eng 
lish,  "  What  him  name."  He  answered  me,  saying, 
"  Dat  General  Jackson."  I  then  sprinkled  water  on 
his  head,  laid  my  hand  upon  it,  and  pronounced  his 


VOYAGES.  221 

name  with  an  audible  voice  ;  this  was  the  oldest  boy. 
I  called  for  the  next,  when  he  brought  forward  a 
younger  lad ;  when  I  asked  his  name,  the  answer 
was,  "  Dat  must  tre  your  name,"  so  1  christened  him 
Jacob  Dunham  ;  then  calling  for  another,  he  brought 
me  a  small  girl,  when  I  asked  concerning  the  name, 
he  answered  me,  "Dat  must  be  your  wife  name," 
and  I  christened  her  Fanny  Dunham.  The  fourth 
one  being  called  for,  Captain  Murray  requested 
Campbell  to  have  it  christened  after  his  wife ;  he 
agreed  to  it,  as  it  was  a  small  girl,  and  I  named  her 
Lucretia  Murray.  After  the  ceremony  was  ended 
Captain  Murray  presented  the  children  with  fifty 
cents  each.  A  good  dinner  was  prepared  on  the  oc 
casion,  which  we  partook  of  in  the  most  jovial  and 
friendly  manner,  after  which  we  visited  a  number  of 
the  neighboring  houses  in  company  with  my  friend 
Campbell,  where  we  were  received  with  a  hearty 
welcome,  and  presented  with  such  fruits  as  the 
country  afforded. 

In  the  morning,  while  we  were  preparing  to  re 
turn  to  the  schooner,  Campbell  called  me  out  to  a 
small  store  house,  where  he  took  up  the  hind  quarter 
of  a  baboon  or  large  monkey,  well  smoked,  and  pre 
sented  it  to  me  to  eat  on  our  passage  back  to  the 
schooner.  I  did  not  like  to  wound  his  feelings  by  re 
fusing  his  present.  On  looking  into  his  store  room  I 
observed  a  number  of  large  smoked  birds  about  the 
size  of  a  common  turkey,  which  I  told  him  suited  my 
taste  much  better  than  monkey,  which  he  readily  ex- 


222  DUNHAM'S 

changed,  as  the  natives  consider  a  fat  monkey  the 
best  meat  that  the  country  produces.  He  supplied 
us  with  bread-stuff  and  fruits.  We  took  our  depar 
ture  for  the  vessel,  and  arrived  dn  board  that  night. 

We  continued  trading  along  the  coast  a  few  days, 
when  we  fell  in  with  an  old  schooner  under  Colum 
bian  colors,  but  American  built,  said  to  belong  to  a 
man  named  Varney,  who  was  on  board  of  her,  but 
could  not  hold  her  papers  while  sailing  under  that 
flag,  not  being  a  naturalized  citizen  of  that  govern 
ment.  It  appeared  he  had  employed  a  black  citizen 
of  that  country  to  hold  her  papers,  in  the  capacity  of 
captain,  who  was  then  laying  sick  in  a  canoe  on  the 
schooner's  deck. 

Captain  Murray  told  me  he  had  heard  from  Car- 
thagena  that  a  government  schooner  was  cruising  in 
pursuit  of  the  Frances  to  capture  her  for  trading  on 
this  coast  without  license,  that  we  must  take  the 
goods  out  of  her  and  put  them  on  board  of  Varney's 
old  schooner  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  then  proceed 
to  sea  with  her  immediately ;  that  I  must  go  on  board 
of  her  and  take  charge  of  the  goods  as  supercargo. 
The  goods  were  transferred  that  afternoon  in  great 
haste,  without  my  having  time  to  examine  the  old 
vessel  as  I  ought  to  have  done.  She  had  a  motley 
crew  of  different  nations  on  board.  When  I  took  a 
view  of  them,  I  told  Murray  that  I  would  not  trust 
my  life  on  board  of  her  without  he  gave  me  two  or 
three  of  the  Frances'  crew  to  go  with  me,  which  re 
quest  he  complied  with,  when  we  hurried  to  sea, 


VOYAGES.  223 

bound  to  the  Island  of  St.  Andreas.  After  we  got  out 
a  little  from  the  land  we  tried  the  pump,  and  found 
she  leaked  very  badly,  but  dared  not  put  back,  fearing 
we  might  be  captured.  So  we  all  agreed  to  pursue 
the  voyage.  We  were  now  compelled  to  try  the  pump 
every  fifteen  minutes  during  the  passage  to  St.  An 
dreas,  which  was  twenty-three  days. 

Immediately  after  our  arrival  in  that  harbor  I 
took  all  the  goods  on  shore.  Two  days  after,  Var- 
ney  undertook  to  heave  the  old  schooner  out,  to  re 
pair  her  bottom,  when  the  deck  slid  off,  and  she  sunk, 
never  to  rise  again.  The  negro  captain  died  the  se 
cond  day  after  we  went  to  sea,  when  we  committed 
his  body  to  a  watery  grave. 

Some  time  after  Captain  Murray  arrived  with 
the  Frances  in  the  harbor  and  learned  the  fate  of 
Varney's  old  vessel,  when  he  chartered  a  small 
schooner  belonging  to  St.  Andreas  to  take  the  re 
mainder  of  his  goods  on  board,  and  carry  them  to 
St.  John's,  on  the  Spanish  Main.  The  next  day  they 
were  all  put  on  board  of  the  new  schooner.  Murray 
now  made  up  his  mind  to  send  the  Frances  back  to 
New-York,  and  wanted  me  to  take  charge  of  her  as 
master,  which  I  refused  to  do,  knowing  it  to  be  a 
broken  voyage,  and  if  I  acted  as  master  of  her  I 
could  not  libel  the  vessel  for  my  wages.  I  told  him 
he  could  give  the  mate  charge  of  the  Frances,  and 
that  I  would  assist  to  navigate  her  back  to  New- 
York,  which  he  agreed  to.  He  and  Varney  went  on 
board  of  the  new  chartered  schooner,  and  proceeding 


224  DUNHAM'S 

to  St.  John's,  took  out  the  goods  and  transported  them 
up  that  river  into  Nunanger  Lake,  on  a  trading  voy 
age.  All  our  arrangements  being  finished,  both  ves 
sels  proceeded  to  sea,  when  we  shaped  our  course 
for  New- York.  • 

Soon  after  we  got  to  sea  I.  examined  the  list  of 
return  cargo  which  Murray  had  left  on  board  the 
Frances ;  it  consisted  mostly  of  fustic,  which  was 
selling  in  New- York  at  that  time  at  reduced  prices, 
and  I  found  that  the  whole  cargo  would  not  pay  the 
charter  of  the  schooner,  which  was  two  hundred  dol 
lars  per  month,  besides  victualing,  manning  and 
port  charges. 

The  Frances  proved  to  be  such  a  dull  sailer  that 
we  could  seldom  force  her  more  than  seven  knots 
per  hour,  in  addition  to  which  her  sails  and  rigging 
had  been  badly  injured  by  the  continued  rains  on 
that  coast,  which  rendered  her  unfit  for  any  voyage. 
We  were  beating  to  the  northward  about  fourteen 
days  before  we  made  the  land,  which  proved  to  be 
Cape  Antonio,  we  then  steered  into  the  Gulf-stream, 
which  assisted  us  to  work  our  way  to  the  northward 
and  eastward,  and  were  a  number  of  days  sailing  in 
the  Gulf  before  we  reached  the  latitude  of  Charles 
ton,  where  we  encountered  a  succession  of  heavy 
gales  of  wind  which  split  our  sails  and  carried  away 
the  greatest  part  of  our  running  rigging.  Finding 
our  water  and  provisions  growing  short,  we  conclud 
ed  to  put  into  Charleston  for  relief,  and  the  next  day 
the  wind  proving  favorable  we  steered  direct  for  that 


VOYAGES.  225 

port,  where  we  anchored  in  a  crippled  condition.  Af 
ter  our  arrival  there,  we  wrote  to  the  men  whom  we 
supposed  were  Captain  Murray's  sureties  for  the 
charter  of  the  Frances,  informing  them  of  our  mis 
fortune,  when  they  applied  to  the  underwriters  for 
relief.  When  we  had  waited  two  or  three  weeks  in 
Charleston,  an  agent  of  the  underwriters  arrived 
there  from  New- York,  bringing  with  him  rigging 
and  sails,  when  we  made  some  tempory  repairs,  and 
then  sailed  for  New- York,  where  we  arrived  after 
a  passage  of  two  weeks. 

After  we  arrived  in  port  it  was  discovered  that 
Murray  had  not  over  twenty  dollars  when  he  first 
undertook  the  voyage.  He  was  a  good  looking  man, 
and  belonged  to  the  Masonic  order,  could  sing  a  good 
song,  and  tell  a  humorous  story,  and  had  a  peculiar 
way  of  gaining  the  confidence  of  his  associates.  He 
had  but  few  personal  acquaintances  in  the  city ;  but 
had  obtained  security  from  two  or  three  responsible 
merchants  for  the  charter  of  the  schooner  Frances 
for  a  voyage  of  some  months,  at  two  hundred  dollars 
per  month,  and  they  had  loaned  him  money  to  pay 
the  advance  wages  of  the  mate  and  seamen,  and 
supplied  him  with  ship  stores,  besides  making  large 
shipments  of  goods  on  their  own  account.  He  took 
many  goods  from  different  people  in  invoices  of  from 
fifty  to  one  thousand  dollars,  agreeing  to  carry  them 
free  from  freight,  and  return  them  one-half  of  the  net 
profits.  Among  the  shippers  was  his  landlady,  a  poor 
widow  woman,  whom  he  persuaded  to  make;  a  ship- 
*  10* 


226  DUNHAM'S 

ment  of  crockery  amounting  to  fifty  or  sixty  dollars, 
who,  no  doubt  expected  it  would  be  sold  at  California 
prices.  I  have  since  conversed  with  many  of  the 
shippers  by  the  Frances  on  this  voyage,  who  say 
that  they  never  received  any  returns  for  the  goods 
which  they  shipped  on  board  the  schooner,  or  any 
account  of  the  sales  of  .them.  The  sureties  were 
compelled  to  pay  the  seamen's  wages  and  all  other 
expenses.  Some  years  after  I  learned  that  Murray 
died  in  some  part  of  Central  America. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


Voyage   to   New   Orleans. 

About  the  first  of  December,  1831, 1  entered  into 
an  agreement  in  Philadelphia  with  a  large  contrac 
tor,  who  had  engaged  to  open  a  canal  from  the  city 
of  New  Orleans  to  Lake  Ponekertrain.  He  had 
hired  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  charter 
ed  a  brig  to  carry  them  to  New  Orleans.  We  sailed 
about  the  sixth  of  December,  and  made  our  passage 
out  in- twenty  days.  The  captain  of  the  brig  was  a 
young  man  who  was  but  little  acquainted  with  that 
coast.  As  he  found  that  I  was  more  experienced 
than  himself,  he  was  very  civil  to  me.  I  gave  him 


VOYAGES.  227 

information  about  this  dangerous  coast.  On  our 
arrival  at  New  Orleans  we  were  conveyed  to  some 
large  shantees,  built  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
workmen.  I  was  stationed  in  the  store-room,  with 
orders  to  weigh  out  the  provisions,  keep  a  daily  ac 
count  of  the  expenditures,  and  make  weekly  re 
turns  to  the  treasurer.  This  I  found  a  very  dis 
agreeable  situation,  as  the  men  were  constantly 
finding  fault  with  their  provisions,  although  they 
were  furnished  with  good  tea,  coffee,  sugar,  smoked 
shoulders,  potatoes,  salt  fish,  wheat  bread  and  but 
ter  every  Friday,  fresh  beef  twice  in  the  week,  and 
eight  glasses  of  whiskey  per  day.  Notwithstanding 
this  good  treatment,  we  had  riots  among  the  men 
every  few  days,  and  all  deficiency  in  stores  or  cook 
ing  was  laid  to  my  charge,  and  they  often  threaten 
ed  my  life.  There  were  two  other  encampments  on 
the  same  canal,  one  on  the  lake  side,  and  one  in  the 
middle  station,  where  they  murdered  one  cook,  mor 
tally  wounded  one  overseer,  and  severely  injured 
many  others. 

A  few  months  after  they  grew  so  riotous  that 
the  City  Guards  had  to  be  called  out  to  suppress 
them,  when  they  were  discharged  by  the  company, 
and  I  was  released  from  my  contract.  After  they 
had  spent  all  their  wages  they  returned  to  their  work 
and  were  very  orderly.  This  canal  is  only  six  and 
a  half  miles  long,  and  eight  feet  deep,  but  has  added 
greatly  to  the  wealth  of  the  city.  There  was  an  old 
canal,  formed  mostly  by  nature,  running  nearly  paral- 


228  DUNHAM'S 

lei  with  this  new  one,  having  about  five  feet  depth 
of  water  in  it,  but  it  was  often  so  much  out  of  repair 
as  to  make  it  difficult  to  navigate,  and  as  it  did  not 
answer  the  desired  purpose,  the  new  one  was  made. 
I  obtained  employment  in  a  little  schooner,  which 
ran  between  New  Orleans  and  Covington,  through 
the  old  canal,  crossing  the  lake  and  ascending  a  small 
river  called  Chepunkee,  navigable  some  twenty-two 
miles.  We  sailed  into  the  mouth  of  it  about  three 
miles,  and  then  took  in  our  sails  and  towed  her  the 
remaining  distance  to  the  little  village  called  Co 
vington.  The  river  is  so  narrow  in  many  places  that 
vessels  have  scant  room  to  pass  by  each  other;  a 
slight  current  sets  down  the  river  the  whole  time. 

At  Covington  I  found  a  number  of  steam  saw 
mills,  and  abundance  of  sawed  timber  and  boards,  a 
few  hotels,  boarding  houses,  stores,  and  a  printing 
office  and  several  dwelling  houses.  This  place  is 
considered  a  healthy  resort  in  the  sickly  season. 
Many  small  vessels  find  employment  here  in  trans 
porting  lumber,  brick,  and  cotton.  We  soon  took 
in  a  cargo  of  lumber  and  returned  to  New  Orleans, 
where  we  discharged  it ;  when  I  entered  on  board 
of  another  schooner  and  made  a  trip  to  Mobile, 
which  I  found  a  very  handsome  city.  The  houses 
are  built  in  modern  style,  the  place  has  in  it  a  num 
ber  of  large  elegant  hotels  and  stores,  and  many 
handsome  streets.  I  was  much  annoyed  with  mus- 
quittoes  while  we  remained  in  port,  but  soon  left  for 
New  Orleans,  where  we  landed  after  a  passage  of 


VOYAGES.  229 

two  days.  In  a  short  time  I  started  for  another  trip 
across  the  lake.  On  my  return  I  was  taken  sick. 
Finding  that  my  small  means  would  not  support  me 
long  at  a  boarding  house,  and  also  pay  the  doctor's 
bills,  I  applied  to  the  collector  of  the  port,  who  gave 
me  an  order  to  go  to  the  Marine  Hospital,  supposing 
I  had  a  just  claim  to  go  there  after  paying  hospital 
money  to  support  such  institutions  over  thirty  years. 
During  my  stay  in  the  hospital  I  found  it  was  a  pri 
vate  institution  ;  that  the  collector  and  the  keeper 
of  it  were  kinsmen,  and  that  the  collector  paid  the 
keeper  seventy-five  cents  per  day  for  the  board  of 
every  seaman  he  sent  there.  The  daily  rations  al 
lowed  each  man  were  about  eight  or  ten  ounces  of 
bread,  and  five  or  six  ounces  of  fresh  meat,  with  the 
accompaniment  of  a  small  bowl  of  tea.  The  whole 
would  not  cost  per  day  over  twelve  cents  per  man. 
A  number  of  seamen  remain  here  a  long  time 
after  they  are  restored  to  health,  without  receiving 
a  discharge  from  the  doctor,  who  is  making  fifty 
cents  per  day,  or  more,  for  their  board.  These  men 
leave  the  hospital  in  the  morning  in  pursuit  of  work, 
which  they  generally  find,  purchase  their  dinners 
at  eating  houses,  and  return  to  the  hospital  at  night, 
where  they  receive  their  small  rations  and  lodgings, 
the  keeper  pocketing  his  seventy-five  cents  per  day 
from  government  during  their  stay  here.  They  are 
left  to  decide  for  themselves  when  it  is  best  to  be 
well.  In  consequence  of.  this,  many  of  the  sick  in  the 
hospital  are  crowded  out  of  comfortable  lodgings. 


230  DUNHAM'S 

It  will  easily  be  seen  that  the  greatest  part  ol 
the  tax  collected  from  the  hard  earnings  of  seamen 
is  used  to  enrich  political  favorites.  I  remained  in 
this  establishment  about  sixty  days,  during  that  time 
the  yellow  fever  raged  there  violently,  causing  a 
number  of  deaths  in  the  house.  Many  patients  were 
brought  there  who  were  unable  to  walk  or  stand  on 
their  feet,  and  were  most  of  them  soon  cured. 

After  I  left  the  hospital  I  found  some  light  em 
ployment  for  a  few  days,  when  I  agreed  to  take 
another  trip  across  the  lake.  Previous  to  my  going 
on  board  of  the  vessel  I  returned  to  the  hospital, 
where  I  had  left  some  of  my  clothing,  took  with  me 
such  as  I  wanted,  and  left  some  of  my  heavy  articles 
in  charge  of  a  sailor  named  Daniel  Dunn,  with  whom 
I  had  formed  a  short  acquaintance  in  the  hospital, 
and  proceeded  over  the  lake,  where  we  remained  a 
few  days,  and  then  returned  to  the  city.  On  my  re 
turn  I  found  the  cholera  had  broken  out  and  was 
raging  to  such  an  alarming  degree  that  the  inhabi 
tants  were  terror-struck.  The  returns  of  deaths  were 
over  two  hundred  per  day.  Laborers  wages  for  dig 
ging  in  the  church  burying  ground  was  seven  dollars 
per  day.  Not  being  able  to  procure  laborers  suffi 
cient  to  dig  single  graves,  they  dug  canals  about  one 
hundred  rods  in  length,  of  sufficient  depth  to  place 
three  coffins  one  above  the  other,  the  water  in  the 
bottom  of  it  being  about  eighteen  inches  deep.  All 
graves  dug  in  New  Orleans  are  half  filled  with 
water  before  the  coffins  are  deposited  in  them. 


VOYAGES.  231 

The  morning  after  my  return  I  proceeded  to  the 
hospital  to  see  after  my  clothing.  On  visiting  the 
building  I  was  much  surprised  on  walking  through 
many  of  the  rooms  without  seeing  a  living  soul.  In 
the  back  yard  I  found  eight  or  ten  dead  bodies  laying 
on  the  ground  in  a  putrid  state.  I  then  searched  the 
upper  stories,  and  in  a  room  called  the  small-pox 
ward,  I  found  one  dead  body  laying  on  a  bed  covered 
with  a  woollen  blanket,  in  a  very  putrid  state,  the 
offensive  gas  rising  through  the  blanket  like  a  dense 
fog.  Some  few  were  still  alive,  but  suffering  for  want 
of  attendance.  On  descending  the  stairs  I  met  the  as 
sistant  physician  of  the  hospital,  and  asked  him  the 
cause  of  this  great  neglect  of  the  few  who  were  still 
living.  He  told  me  that*Doctor  M'Farlane,  the  pro 
prietor,  was  very  sick,  and  that  the  cook,  steward, 
washer  woman,  and  the  black  man  who  conveyed 
the  corpses  to  the  grave,  were  all  dead,  and  that  they 
could  not  procure  any  assistance.  He  asked  me  if  I 
would  try  to  hire  some  help  for  him.  I  told  him  that 
I  would  use  my  best  exertions  to  procure  him  some, 
but  if  I  could  not  obtain  any  I  would  assist  him  my 
self.  I  then  left  him  and  returned  to  my  lodgings. 
Just  before  I  left  my  boarding  house  to  visit  the  hos 
pital  I  heard  one  of  the  boarders,  a  journeyman 
hatter,  who  had  been  on  a  drunken  frolic  for  some 
days,  say  that  he  had  spent  all  his  money  and  had 
not  enough  left  to  get  his  bitters  that  morning.  Know 
ing  that  the  want  of  money  in  such  circumstances 
stimulate  men  to  undertake  unpleasant  jobs  sooner 


232  DUNHAM'S 

than  go  without  their  bitters,  I  proposed  his  going 
to  work  with  me  at  the  hospital,  and  rendering  the 
doctor  all  the  assistance  in  our  power,  which  he 
readily  agreed  to.  When  we  arrived  at  the  place  I 
introduced  the  doctor  to  the  hatter.  After  the  intro 
duction  was  over  my  partner  showed  a  great  anxiety 
to  fix  on  the  price  of  our  day's  work,  which  was  soon 
settled  at  five  dollars  each.  The  bargain  being  closed 
we  were  presented  with  some  antidote,  which  we 
were  ordered  to  snuff  up  our  noses. 

About  this  time  three  or  four  carts  arrived  at  the 
door,  when  we  were  requested  to  assist  in  carrying 
out  the  few  sick  persons  that  remained  in  the  build 
ing,  which  we  found  to  be  only  sixteen,  being  all 
that  were  left  alive  out  of  about  sixty  inmates  that 
I  left  there  some  ten  days  before. 

The  doctor  showed  us  a  number  of  rough  boxes, 
called  coffins,  which  were  placed  in  the  back  yard. 
Many  of  them  were  made  very  wide,  that  they  might 
hold  two  dead  bodies.  He  requested  us  to  harness  up 
a  poor  old  half-starved  horse,  which  we  found  on  the 
premises.  After  a  long  search  we  found  the  old  har 
ness  scattered  about  the  yard,  which  we  gathered  up, 
both  of  us  being  ignorant  of  the  way  of  putting  it 
together.  After  a  long  consultation  wre  placed  it  on 
the  horse's  back,  which  was  so  sore  that  he  trembled 
badly  during  the  operation.  After  we  had  rigged  him 
and  the  cart,  we  agreed  to  take  on  one  of  the  double 
coffins  for  the  first  load.  We  opened  one  of  them  and 
placed  a  large  body  in  it,  and  then  hunted  for  a  small 


VOYAGES.  233 

one  to  crowd  into  the  same  box ;  when  we  had  ac 
complished  this  we  attempted  to  lift  the  double  cof 
fin  on  to  the  cart ;  finding  that  we  were  not  able  to 
accomplish  it  we  were  obliged  to  roll  it  on.  I  ask 
ed  the  hatter  if  he  would  drive  the  horse  to  the  grave 
yard,  telling  him  I  was  unacquainted  with  that 
employment.  He  told  me  he  was  a  stranger  to  that 
business,  and  insisted  upon  it  that  I  must  be  the 
driver.  I  mounted  the  cart  and  proceeded  towards 
the  burying  ground,  on  the  road  we  found  the  mud 
so  deep  that  the  cart  wheels  buried  themselves 
nearly  up  to  the  hubs.  After  driving  nearly  a  mile 
we  arrived  at  the  Catholic  burying  ground,  where 
we  found  a  long  canal  and  twenty  or  thirty  men 
employed  in  digging  and  receiving  dead  bodies.  Be 
fore  our  arrival  there,  a  board  burst  off  from  the 
coffin,  which  caused  one  arm  to  hang  out.  The 
Irish  laborers  employed  there  commenced  a  quarrel 
with  us,  swearing  that  they  would  be  the  death  of 
us  if  we  brought  any  more  coffins  there  in  that  situ 
ation,  and  we  found  some  difficulty  in  prevailing 
upon  them  to  receive  the  present  one.  They  at  last 
agreed  to  help  lift  it  off  the  cart.  It  was  then  placed 
in  the  canal,  where  the  water  was  about  two  feet 
deep,  two  men  stood  upon  it  until  they  put  another 
coffin  on  the  top  of  it,  when  they  placed  the  third 
one  on  the  top  of  the  second  one,  making  the  tier 
three  deep,  laying  the  coffins  crossways  in  the  canal. 
When  one  tier  was  finished  they  hove  large  quanti 
ties  of  lime  upon  it  and  commenced  another. 


234  DUNHAM'S 

We  now  returned  to  the  hospital  and  took  in  two 
more  bodies,  enclosing  them  in  single  coffins.  This 
time  we  found  a  number  of  chickens  busily  employ 
ed  in  the  hospital  yard  picking  maggots  out  of  the 
eyes  and  ears  of  the  putrid  bodies  laying  on  the 
ground  in  the  yard.  The  hatter  and  myself  had  a 
long  consultation  about  handling  the  putrid  car 
cases,  and  agreed  between  ourselves  to  pick  out  the 
soundest  of  them  first.  We  noticed  some  cartmen 
drawing  a  number  of  loads  of  wood  and  depositing 
them  on  a  vacant  lot  of  ground  near  the  hospital.  A 
report  was  circulated  that  the  Mayor  of  the  city  had 
ordered  the  building  to  be  burned  down  that  night. 
We  proceeded  back  to  the  grave-yard,  where  we  met 
with  a  more  peaceable  reception.  On  our  return  wre 
found  the  fowls  still  busily  engaged  on  the  dead 
bodies,  which  had  become  more  putrid  during  our 
short  absence.  This  was  one  of  the  most  unpleasant 
scenes  I  ever  witnessed.  We  stopped  on  our  way  and 
took  some  refreshments,  and  then  conveyed  two  more 
loads  to  the  burying  ground,  carrying  two  at  each 
load. 

About  sunset  we  unharnessed  our  old  horse  and 
put  him  in  his  place.  Having  satisfied  our  employer 
we  took  our  discharge.  We  agreed  between  ourselves 
to  stop  at  the  hospital  a  short  time  and  see  what  dis 
posal  was  to  be  made  of  the  remaining  dead  bodies. 
Soon  after  sunset  some  eight  or  ten  men  made  their 
appearance  and  took  up  an  old  door  and  bored  one 
or  two  holes  through  it,  and  putting  a  rope  through 


VOYAGES.  235 

the  holes,  rolled  two  of  the  putrid  bodies  upon  it,  and 
then  took  hold  of  the  rope  and  dragged  it  to  a  vacant 
lot  near  the  hospital,  which  process  they  continued 
until  they  had  gathered  them  all  into  one  heap,  when 
they  went  to  the  various  rooms  and  took  all  the  beds 
and  bedsteads  containing  the  dead  bodies,  and  car 
ried  them  into  the  same  yard  and  deposited  them  on 
the  putrid  heap  ;  they  next  broke  down  the  fence  to 
more  readily  kindle  the  fire  on  this  offensive  mass, 
when  they  piled  on  the  three  cords  of  wood  which 
the  Mayor  had  sent  there  for  that  purpose,  set  it  on 
fire,  and  consumed  the  whole  of  it. 

On  viewing  the  place,  while  passing  it  the  next 
morning,  I  could  not  discover  a  particle  of  bone 
larger  than  a  man's  finger-nail  left. 

The  Cholera  raged  in  New  Orleans  to  a  frightful 
degree  for  some  months  after ;  the  average  number 
of  deaths  in  the  city  was  two  hundred  per  day  for 
several  weeks. 

Soon  after  this  I  made  a  trip  in  a  little  schooner 
to  St.  Marks,  and  a  small  port  called  Magnolia,  in 
West  Florida,  and  then  returned  to  the  city,  where  I 
remained  about  two  months,  when  I  found  employ 
ment  as  a  mate  on  board  of  a  brig  called  the  Com 
modore  Barry,  bound  to  New- York,  where  I  was  to 
receive  my  wages  and  be  discharged.  We  perform 
ed  our  passage  home  without  meeting  with  any  oc 
currence  worth  recording. 

New  Orleans  is  one  of  the  most  immoral  cities  I 
ever  visited.  All  kinds  of  amusement  are  indulged 


236  DUNHAM'S 

in  on  Sundays :  most  of  the  military  companies, 
both  foot  and  horse,  are  assembled  on  that  day  in  a 
public  square  in  front  of  the  Mayor's  office  and  drill 
ed.  The  Sabbath  is  the  day  elected  for  sham  fights. 
The  piazzas  of  the  largest  hotels  are  filled  with 
bands  of  musicians,  playing  enchanting  tunes  to  at 
tract  customers.  The  doors  of  billiard  rooms  are 
thrown  open  to  public  view,  and  large  sums  of 
money  are  often  bet  on  the  games.  Strolling  negro 
musicians  are  found  playing  on  their  banjoes  and 
tamborines  at  the  corners  of  the  streets.  On  Sunday 
evenings,  circuses,  play-houses  and  gambling  rooms, 
attract  a  large  collection  of  people. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


Schooner   Horizon. 

Having  lost  all  my  property  except  a  small  home 
stead,  by  the  many  captures  I  had  experienced,  the 
perils  of  the  sea,  and  the  fluctuations  of  prices  in  the 
West  India  produce,  and  being  now  out  of  employ 
ment,  and  looking  upon  every  man  as  slothful  who 
remained  idle  when  he  could  earn  a  competence  by 
working  for  less  wages  then  he  formerly  received,  I 
agreed  with  a  young  inexperienced  captain  to  per- 


VOYAGES.  237 

form  a  voyage  with  him  in  a  small  schooner  of 
seventy  tons,  called  the  Horizon,  from  New- York  to 
the  Island  of  Teneriffe.  My  name  was  entered  on 
the  shipping  articles  as  mate,  although  it  was  ver 
bally  understood  that  I  was  to  be  considered  as  the 
navigator  and  sailing  master. 

We  commenced  loading  about  the  first  of  Janu 
ary,  1835,  with  staves  and  a  few  other  articles,  and 
went  to*  sea  about  the  eighth,  the  vessel  being  deeply 
loaded,  which  made  her  wet  and  uncomfortable  for 
a  winter's  voyage.  We  proceeded  on  the  passage 
without  any  material  accident  until  we  arrived  in 
the  latitude  of  Teneriffe,  when  we  were  overtaken 
by  a  violent  gale  of  wind,  which  lasted  nearly  two 
days ;  we  shipped  a  number  of  seas,  which  cleared 
our  decks  of  staves,  carried  away  our  bulwarks, 
broke  our  bowsprit,  and  sprung  the  head  of  our  fore 
mast  ;  rendering  the  schooner  totally  unmanageable. 
The  next  day  the  wind  abated,  and  the  sea  became 
more  moderate,  when  we  made  all  the  repairs  that 
our  scant  materials  would  admit  of,  and  in  the  after 
noon  discovered  the  high  Peak  of  Teneriffe.  Finding 
our  water  running  low,  having  had  our  last  cask 
stove  during  the  gale,  we  agreed  to  come  upon  an 
allowance  of  one  bottle  of  water  for*  each  man  per 
day.  The  weather  became  mild,  with  light  variable 
winds,  which  rendered  the  vessel  quite  unmanagea 
ble,  as  we  had  no  head  sail  to  keep  her  before  the 
wind  in  light  breezes.  With  longing  eyes  we  viewed 
the  majestic  pyramid  for  fourteen  days,  the  wind 


238  DUNHAM'S 

remaining  the  same  during  all  that  time,  when  we 
approached  so  near  the  harbor  of  Oratava  that  we 
were  boarded  by  a  pilot  who  conducted  us  into  that 
port.  Our  schooner's  cables  being  only  about  forty 
fathoms  long,  would  not  reach  -the  bottom  in  that 
harbor,  and  we  were  obliged  to  hire  a  cable  and 
anchor  to  ride  by  during  our  stay  in  port. 

While  lying  here  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  pilot 
constantly  on  board,  that  we  may  be  ready  to  pro 
ceed  to  sea  the  moment  the  wind  changes  so  as  to 
blow  towards  the  land.  After  we  had  remained  in 
the  harbor  some  four  or  five  days,  and  procured  car 
penters  to  repair  our  vessel,  a  gale  of  wind  com 
menced,  and  we  were  compelled  to  slip  our  cable 
and  go  to  sea  again,  where  we  remained  about  two 
days,  when  we  put  into  the  Island  of  Palmos,  at 
which  place  we  continued  three  or  four  days.  After 
the  gale  abated  we  returned  to  our  former  anchorage 
in  Oratava  harbor. 

The  harbor  of  Oratava  is  surrounded  by  high 
rocks,  almost  perpendicular,  faced  with  sharp  points, 
which  makes  it  impossible  to  ascend  them.  When 
vessels  are  wrecked  in  this  place  they  are  very  soon 
dashed  to  pieces,  and  their  crews  meet  a  watery 
grave.  The  Anchorage  is  situated  about  twelve 
miles  from  the  foot  of  the  Peak,  where  the  weather 
is  so  mild  that  sailors  are  working  on  board  vessels 
with  no  clothing  except  shirts  and  trowsers,  while 
the  Peak  is  covered  with  snow.  Our  pilot  informed 
me  that  snow  fell  on  the  Peak  every  month  in  the 


VOYAGES.  239 

year  except  March.  The  snow,  from  the  appear 
ance,  forms  a  body  of  ice,  and  the  brilliant  rays  of 
the  sun  at  its  rising  are  reflected  on  this  ice-capped 
mountain  with  such  dazzling  light  that  the  beholder 
is  struck  with  awe  as  he  surveys  this  mighty  won 
der  of  the  world.  I  had  but  one  opportunity  to  visit 
the  shore,  where  I  remained  but  a  few  moments 
while  signing  a  protest.  My  short  stay  prevents  my 
giving  the  reader  any  description  of  the  place. 

We  employed  two  native  carpenters  to  repair  the 
damages  the  schooner  had  received  on  the  passage, 
they  came  on  board  early  every  morning,  bringing 
their  dinners  with  them,  which  consisted  of  a  six 
cent  loaf  of  wheat  bread,  one  head  of  lettuce,  and  a 
bottle  of  wine ;  this  being  the  only  food  they  had. 
At  twelve  o'clock  they  sat  down  on  deck,  made  their 
meal  and  drank  the  wine.  They  brought  on  board  a 
few  very  coarse  carpenter's  tools,  among  which  was 
a  hand-saw  that  attracted  my  particular  attention, 
as  it  had  .a  small  hole  in  the  point  of  it,  through 
which  they  put  a  nail  gimblet ;  when  they  wanted 
to  split  a  board  they  lined  in  the  usual  manner,  then 
placed  one  end  on  the  deck  and  raised  the  other  end 
up  to  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees,  being 
supported  by  a  saw-bench,  when  one  of  them  took 
the  saw  by  the  handle  in  the  common  way,  while  the 
other  put  the  gimblet  through  the  hole  in  the  point, 
which  he  took  hold  of  by  placing  his  fingers  on  both 
sides  of  the  blade,  and  assisted  in  drawing  the  saw 
through  the  board,  his  comrade  shoving  on  the  other 


240  DUNHAM'S 

end ;  this  was  the  first  time  I  ever  knew  that  it  took 
two  men  to  work  one  hand- saw. 

The  expenses  of  repairs  here  are  very  great.  I 
think  one  American  carpenter  will  perform  more 
labor  in  one  day  than  six  of  those  natives. 

We  were  detained  here  a  long  time  in  discharg 
ing  our  cargo  for  want  of  lighters,  being  obliged  to 
land  it  in  small  boats,  which  made  but  a  few  trips 
on  shore  each  day,  the  same  boats  bringing  back  our 
return  cargo.  Our  supply  of  fire  wood  getting  very 
short  we  inquired  the  price  of  that  article  on  shore, 
and  found  that  they  asked  twenty  dollars  per  cord 
for  it.  We  purchased  a  few  sacks  of  coal  for  the 
return  passage.  After  remaining  here  some  weeks 
we  sailed  for  New- York,  where  we  shortly  arrived, 
all  in  good  health.  The  cargo  was  soon  discharged, 
all  hands  paid,  and  I  returned  to  my  home. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 


Sinking  of  the  Sloop  First  Consul. 

About  the  first  of  September,  1842,  two  of  my 
friends  in  New- York  purchased  a  Sloop  called  the 
First  Consul,  about  twenty-five  tons  burden,  and 
gave  me  the  charge  of  her  with  orders  to  employ  her 


VOYAGES.  241 

in  any  trade  I  thought  proper  to  earn  a  living  in.  I 
remained  in  the  city  some  weeks  seeking  employ 
ment  for  my  vessel,  but  after  many  applications  for 
freights,  without  success,  I  found  myself  disappoint 
ed  in  my  calculations  in  obtaining  business  for  her 
in  the  city.  As  a  last  resort,  I  determined  to  proceed 
up  the  Hudson  River  as  far  as  Rondout,  where  I 
expected  to  procure  some  small  freights  of  coal  to 
deliver  at  the  neighboring  villages  on  the  river. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  October  I  left  New- York  for 
Rondout,  where  I  obtained  a  freight  of  about  thirty 
tons  of  coal  to  be  delivered  at  Poughkeepsie.  We 
loaded  and  left  for  our  port  of  destination,  where  we 
discharged  our  cargo  and  agreed  to  return  and  take 
in  another  for  the  same  company.  Finding  the  sloop 
proved  leaky  I  proceeded  home  to  Catskill,  where  I 
procured  a  caulker  and  gave  her  some  repairs,  when 
we  returned  to  Rondout  and  took  on  board  another 
cargo  of  coal.    Supposing  the  vessel  to  be  perfectly 
tight  in  her  upper  works  after  the  overhauling  she 
had  received,  we  loaded  her  deep,  in  order  to  take  a 
full  canal  boat's  cargo  on  board.    After  we  had  pro 
ceeded  some  distance  on  our  passage  we  discovered 
that  the  vessel  leaked  badly.  We  had  light  baffling 
winds  during  the  night,  and  tried  the  pump  hourly. 
Finding  we  could  keep  her  free  without  very  heavy 
fatigue,  we  apprehended  no  serious  danger,  and  soon 
arrived  at  the  same  wharf  in  Poughkeepsie  where 
we  had  landed  our  last  cargo,  and  hauled  into  a 
small  slip  which  I  considered  a  very  safe  harbor.    I 


242  DUNHAM'S 

had  one  man  on  board  with  me,  whom  I  told  we 
would  get  some  breakfast,  when  we  would  go  below 
and  take  a  short  nap,  as  we  had  been  on  deck  all 
night ;  after  which  ]  would  find  the  owner  of  the 
coal  and  obtain  leave  to  discharge  the  deck  load 
that  day,  although  it  was  Sunday.  We  then  retired 
into  the  cabin  and  laid  down  to  sleep,  it  being  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  After  laying  about 
two  hours  I  was  aroused  by  a  loud  cry,  "  Come  out, 
come  out,  you  are  sinking."  I  sprang  upon  my  feet, 
determined  to  save  my  trunk  and  clothing,  which  I 
was  prevented  from  doing  by  a  column  of  water 
rushing  in  at  the  cabin  door.  I  forced  myself  upon 
deck,  which  at  this  time  was  some  feet  under  water, 
when  I  found  my  legs  entangled  with  old  rigging 
and  lumber.  While  trying  to  extricate  them,  the 
shore  being  steep  the  vessel  settled  down,  which 
parted  the  hawser  that  held  her  fast  to  the  wharf, 
when  she  slid  off  into  the  channel  and  sunk  in  thirty 
feet  water,  with  all  my  clothing,  &c.  and  I  was 
compelled  to  swim  on  shore,  which  I  reached  in  a 
shivering  condition,  but  was  soon  furnished  with 
dry  clothing,  and  treated  in  the  kindest  manner  by 
a  gentleman  living  near  by. 

Two  or  three  days  after  I  hired  two  vessels,  pro 
cured  spars,  chains,  and  necessary  apparatus,  togeth 
er  with  a  number  of  men,  and  made  an  attempt  to 
raise  the  First  Consul.  After  several  days'  hard  labor 
and  fatigue  we  succeeded  in  raising  her,  so  as  to 
float  her  on  the  flats,  when  we  bailed  the  water  out 


VOYAGES.  243 

and  discharged  the  coal  from  her  hold,  the  bulk  of 
the  deck  load  having  been  washed  overboard.  I 
found  most  of  my  clothing,  books,  papers,  &c.  in  the 
cabin  in  a  very  dirty  condition.  My  troubles  did  not 
end  here :  before  I  could  receive  any  assistance  from 
my  friends,  the  sloop  was  attached  for  the  expenses 
of  getting  her  up,  and  sold  for  less  than  the  amount 
of  the  bills,  when  I  returned  home  penniless,  my 
mind  fixed  on  the  distich — 

Since  all  things  to  destruction  tend, 
My  voyage  of  life  will  shortly  end. 


FINIS, 


